Public and private financing of high school athletic programs: The case of football

This study analyzed per-pupil expenditures and the sources of revenues for those expenditures in football programs in 6 southern California high schools. The study investigated whether the funding levels differed in relation to the socioeconomic status (SES) of the students in those schools and whether there was a correlation between expenditures per football player and the success of the high school football teams.;Participants represented 6 public high schools in Orange County, California. From the 15 high schools in the county with an average daily attendance of 2,400 to 4,000, the 6 schools with the lowest percentage of students participating in the free and reduced-price lunch program were selected, as well as the 6 schools with the highest percentage of students participating in the free and reduced-price lunch program.;The most significant finding was a discrepancy in expenditures for football programs between high- and low-SES schools. The correlation for expenditures in low- and high-SES schools was extremely negative; that is, high-SES schools spent more on their football programs and players and low-SES schools spent less. The difference was due primarily to greater parent expenditures in high-SES schools than in low-SES schools. It was also found that the level of expenditures for football had no discernable effect on win/loss records in the schools studied.