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Public School Advantages

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colin2229

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Jul 23, 2005
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Private schools advantage of the 30mile radius gets discussed often. No doubt, it's an advantage. But what rarely ever gets talked about is the public schools advantages. So what are they?

No tuition
No entrance exam to get in or transfer in
Tax dollars to fund the program/facility upgrades/coaches

What else?
 
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mc140

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
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colin2229 said:
Private schools advantage of the 30mile radius gets discussed often. No doubt, it's an advantage. But what rarely ever gets talked about is the public schools advantages. So what are they?

No tuition
No entrance exam to get in or transfer in
Tax dollars to fund the program/facility upgrades/coaches

What else?
Click to expand...

Robbie Gould appears to not see the advantages if rumors are true.
 
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ramblinman_rivals165935

All-Conference
Jul 18, 2001
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Related to the advantage of no tuition:

With roughly 90-95% of Illinois high school students attending public schools, they are the default school option in every single district and have been that default option pretty much since the inception of the public school system in this state. Indeed, in the vast majority of districts, they are the only school option.

One might go so far as to say that most public schools have a monopoly on education. If public education were a business like an airline, telecommunications firm, or a grocery store chain, the government would step in (as it has in the past in those sectors) and demand that there be competition in the educational marketplace.

Granted, private schools can enroll from any district within their radii but being that default option for generation after generation of students is an advantage for public schools if for no other reason than habit/tradition (especially if it involves saving money) is a hard thing to break. Families are IN THE HABIT of sending their kids to public schools. They are IN THE HABIT of not paying extra for education. Families who have sent their kids to public schools for generations find it an easy decision to make where to send their kids to school because they really have no choice in the matter.
 
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colin2229

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kwamizee said:
Larger football budget. Allegedly some schools in the area have $400K to use towards just football
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I wouldn't say this is 100% true.

A private school can fundraise as much as they want and have an extremely large budget....if they want to put the effort in to raise that money.

A truer statement would be that the administration allocates more funds to a given sport at a public school. Numerous private schools are 100% dependent on fundraiser dollars.
 
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Graz74

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Aug 28, 2022
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Ill take the bait. However I will list the Private school advantages tomorrow.

1. Larger Talent Pool​

  • Advantage: Public schools typically draw athletes from a larger population base within their district boundaries. This often provides a deeper talent pool and the opportunity to develop homegrown athletes who stay in the program for their entire high school career. Moreover, non-boundary schools like Chicago's Simeon Career Academy consistently field strong teams because of their large student populations and the ability to identify and develop local talent.

2. Community Support and Pride​

  • Advantage: Public school football programs often serve as a central point of pride for their communities, fostering widespread local support. Take the East St. Louis Flyers, for example, they benefit from robust community backing, including local businesses and alumni, which enhances team morale.

3. Feeder Programs and Youth Development​

  • Advantage: Many public schools work closely with local youth football leagues, creating an almost structured pipeline of athletes familiar with the program's culture, playbook, and coaching philosophy. Suburban schools like Hinsdale Central have long-standing relationships with youth programs, providing continuity in player development.

4. Funding from Tax Revenue​

  • Advantage: Public schools often receive funding through local taxes and state allocations, which can help support facilities, equipment, and coaching staff salaries. Schools in wealthier districts like New Trier with its 80 million dollar athletic facility development demonstrate the benefit derived robust property tax bases that enable top-notch facilities and resources.

5. Access to IHSA Tournaments​

  • Advantage: Public schools automatically participate in IHSA (Illinois High School Association) regional and state tournaments without concerns about eligibility controversies tied to recruitment. Teams like Loyola Academy face scrutiny over recruiting, while public schools often are not scrutinized with high profile players transfer into their district.

6. Diversity of Athletes​

  • Advantage: Public schools often reflect the demographics of their communities, creating opportunities for diverse teams with a wide range of athletic and personal experiences. During my lifetime programs like Bolingbrook High and Homewood-Flossmoor benefited from the diversity in the community and that has impacted more than just the sport of football

7. Athletic Trainers and Support Services​

  • Advantage: Public schools, especially larger ones, have the resources to employ full-time athletic trainers and provide robust academic support for student-athletes. I am told that schools like Oswego High School integrate athletic and academic support programs to ensure players are well-prepared both on and off the field, during the school day, at no expense to the parents.

8. Cohesion Through Consistent Coaching​

  • Advantage: Public schools often have coaching staff who are typically community members or alumni, providing consistency and a personal investment in the team's success.

9. Lower Financial Barriers for Families​

  • Advantage: Public schools do not charge tuition, ensuring that participation in sports programs is accessible to all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status.
  • Example: Students at schools DeKalb High School can participate in football without the additional financial burden often associated with private school tuition. or an associated athletic fee.

10. Alumni Networks for Community-Based Opportunities​

  • Advantage: Many public school programs have vast alumni bases that contribute time, funding, and mentorship opportunities to the program.
 
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jha618

All-Conference
Jan 1, 2018
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Graz74 said:
Ill take the bait. However I will list the Private school advantages tomorrow.

1. Larger Talent Pool​

  • Advantage: Public schools typically draw athletes from a larger population base within their district boundaries. This often provides a deeper talent pool and the opportunity to develop homegrown athletes who stay in the program for their entire high school career. Moreover, non-boundary schools like Chicago's Simeon Career Academy consistently field strong teams because of their large student populations and the ability to identify and develop local talent.

2. Community Support and Pride​

  • Advantage: Public school football programs often serve as a central point of pride for their communities, fostering widespread local support. Take the East St. Louis Flyers, for example, they benefit from robust community backing, including local businesses and alumni, which enhances team morale.

3. Feeder Programs and Youth Development​

  • Advantage: Many public schools work closely with local youth football leagues, creating an almost structured pipeline of athletes familiar with the program's culture, playbook, and coaching philosophy. Suburban schools like Hinsdale Central have long-standing relationships with youth programs, providing continuity in player development.

4. Funding from Tax Revenue​

  • Advantage: Public schools often receive funding through local taxes and state allocations, which can help support facilities, equipment, and coaching staff salaries. Schools in wealthier districts like New Trier with its 80 million dollar athletic facility development demonstrate the benefit derived robust property tax bases that enable top-notch facilities and resources.

5. Access to IHSA Tournaments​

  • Advantage: Public schools automatically participate in IHSA (Illinois High School Association) regional and state tournaments without concerns about eligibility controversies tied to recruitment. Teams like Loyola Academy face scrutiny over recruiting, while public schools often are not scrutinized with high profile players transfer into their district.

6. Diversity of Athletes​

  • Advantage: Public schools often reflect the demographics of their communities, creating opportunities for diverse teams with a wide range of athletic and personal experiences. During my lifetime programs like Bolingbrook High and Homewood-Flossmoor benefited from the diversity in the community and that has impacted more than just the sport of football

7. Athletic Trainers and Support Services​

  • Advantage: Public schools, especially larger ones, have the resources to employ full-time athletic trainers and provide robust academic support for student-athletes. I am told that schools like Oswego High School integrate athletic and academic support programs to ensure players are well-prepared both on and off the field, during the school day, at no expense to the parents.

8. Cohesion Through Consistent Coaching​

  • Advantage: Public schools often have coaching staff who are typically community members or alumni, providing consistency and a personal investment in the team's success.

9. Lower Financial Barriers for Families​

  • Advantage: Public schools do not charge tuition, ensuring that participation in sports programs is accessible to all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status.
  • Example: Students at schools DeKalb High School can participate in football without the additional financial burden often associated with private school tuition. or an associated athletic fee.

10. Alumni Networks for Community-Based Opportunities​

  • Advantage: Many public school programs have vast alumni bases that contribute time, funding, and mentorship opportunities to the program.
Click to expand...
Im going to have to disagree with a few of the points made here. Private schools are able to enroll student-athletes within a 30mile radius. I don't know any public school that has a community that large.

Private schools arent restricted access to IHSA tournaments. From memory, the most recent schools penalized for recruiting have all been public. (Maine South, NC, Ofallon, Peoria, Hononegah, LP)
 
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Snetsrak61

Snetsrak61

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Aug 16, 2008
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ClownBaby said:
This is true but for some reason people on this board believe that every public has a dedicated feeder program.
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I don't think anyone believes that. Just that many of the successful ones have taken a proactive approach.

Elmhurst is somewhat fragmented with two feeder youth programs. But I beleive York has taken an active approach with the larger/more established of the teo (not sure to what extent, but I have heard Fitzgerald stepped it up).

But hey, many Chicago Christian fans have applauded their own feeder programs. Although I don't think it's to the extent that some of the publics have done (they just got a new HC so I doubt they developed culture/playbook in one year 😅) They've apparently benefited from it though just by having kids play early and together. I'm guessing that particular faith community is a little more insular than the many Catholic schools, where middle to high school feeders have some strong correlations, but are ultimately pretty fluid.
 
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PowerI66_

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Oct 11, 2012
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jha618 said:
Im going to have to disagree with a few of the points made here. Private schools are able to enroll student-athletes within a 30mile radius. I don't know any public school that has a community that large.

Private schools arent restricted access to IHSA tournaments. From memory, the most recent schools penalized for recruiting have all been public. (Maine South, NC, Ofallon, Peoria, Hononegah, LP)
Click to expand...
His points are from ChatGPT, you can tell by the formatting
 
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caravan8

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Aug 23, 2014
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McCaravan said:
Well....at least as far as MC, Rita, Rice, ND and Pats are concerned, one advantage is they got girls!!
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That might be a disadvantage! I was able to wear the same pair of pants to school each day and probably only wore 2 shirts per week. Just kept the shirts in the locker for a week or so. Man I can only imagine what that downstairs hallway must’ve smelt like in 1995 🤣
 
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Snetsrak61

Snetsrak61

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greatgig13 said:
Even in a town like Cary, which isn’t big at all, kids go to 3 high schools based on boundaries. This might be true for smaller towns.
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York is like 95% Elmhurst and 95% of Elmhurst is in York but "primarily one town primarily one school" just doesn't roll off the tounge.
 
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King MJ_rivals

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Jul 22, 2001
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kwamizee said:
Larger football budget. Allegedly some schools in the area have $400K to use towards just football
Click to expand...

Who?

Even New Trier, probably the most well funded public high school in the state (if not the country) needs to go to booster club for very basic football supplies.
 
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Dave Brody

Junior
Apr 30, 2024
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Some mediocre at best public school football programs have video scoreboards for replays. Damn that would be nice. I have no idea what those cost but the point is…if they have funds for a nice scoreboard there’s tax money being spent elsewhere too within the program.
 
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ramblinman_rivals165935

All-Conference
Jul 18, 2001
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LHSTigers94 said:
Why do you look at as punishment. Do you not want to play good competition? Do you really like things handed to you? I don’t understand your logic.
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I, for one, don't like things handed to me. My preference would be for ALL schools to be in their most appropriately competitive class. If private schools are forced to be success factored up and public schools are not, then that is discrimination pure and simple and is wrong.
 
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SiuCubFan8

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Jul 27, 2007
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LTHSALUM76 said:
I am reading some of these "advantages" like money, facilities, video score boards, etc. Obviously these are not "advantages" because none of it seems to equal winning. Bringing in the right players does equal winning.
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Of course, a nice new scoreboard doesn't = winning, we know that.
But these things do help in bringing in the "right" players, no?
 
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ramblinman_rivals165935

All-Conference
Jul 18, 2001
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LTHSALUM76 said:
I am reading some of these "advantages" like money, facilities, video score boards, etc. Obviously these are not "advantages" because none of it seems to equal winning. Bringing in the right players does equal winning.
Click to expand...
As simplistic as this may sound, I think much of it boils down to school community desire to win and expectations.

No school community ever says it doesn't want to win. All school communities say they want to win, but how much of that is lip service?

Does every school desire to win exactly as much as every other school, or is there an array of desire? I believe there is an array, and I further believe those schools that want to win much more than most schools generally learn how to do that. If you disagree with that premise, ask yourself if there are many schools that wind up winning in spite of their desire to win being less than most other schools.

I also believe that there is an array of community expectations for winning. If the expectations are there, schools will generally figure out how to meet or exceed them. If expectations are high and are not met, then either expectations are lowered because they are unrealistic or changes are made until they are met.
 
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Doctor_D

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Oct 9, 2016
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SiuCubFan8 said:
Of course, a nice new scoreboard doesn't = winning, we know that.
But these things do help in bringing in the "right" players, no?
Click to expand...
I don’t think there are very many public programs that have attracted football players to move into their district because of their scoreboard. Just rereading it after typing it out sounds ridiculous.
Of course, I don’t have any data to back up my claim, but neither do you.
 
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