PSJA...The Line Between Sports and Politics is a very, very thin one...

A report out of The Monitor's sports section this morning states, "during a school district workshop Saturday it was voted that the school district may be in line for a new stadium within the next five years." The issue of a new stadium was included with the building of a fourth high school, a middle school, and an elementary, as part of PSJA's seventy million dollar bond proposal set for a May vote by the community. The new stadium is estimated to cost $7 million according to a quote in the report by Arturo Guajardo. The idea of simply renovating the current football stadium would cost the district $5 million, the report continues. Superintendent Arturo Guajardo is further quoted as saying, "There's not much difference between $5 million and $7 million, in the interest of the children, the board decided to go ahead and install the new turf, the track, and make a few renovations for now. We're being told that they can work around the football season. If the bond passes, we hope to purchase the land for the new stadium within the next year. This was just a smarter decision for everyone".

A two million dollar difference between new and renovated is no big deal? Going with a new stadium was a "smarter decision for everyone"? Excuse me, but last time I checked the universe we lived in has the Valley as one of the poorest regions in the state, let alone the country. And in a time when the special session on school finance reform will not address issues such as classroom upgrades, teacher pay raises, overall school improvements, an extra two million dollars is a hell of a lot to ask from the community for a new stadium.

Here's an idea nobody asked for, but then again, I wasn't asked if a new stadium should be part of the bond issue, either.

If the bond issue passes, use five million to renovate the current stadium. The artificial turf was installed less than ten years ago, along with the track. There's no need to spend money installing a new one at the moment, the idea of which in turn makes no additional sense because who in their right minds would want to install a new turf, only to build a completely new stadium with it's own new turf less than five years from now? Oh......well, let's carry on shall we.

As I was saying, completely renovate the current stadium from the ground up. Since we can do without the new turf, or track, the field is pretty much playable during football season which will last between September and November. Playoffs can be held in a neighboring stadium, when chances are most games would be away anyway. These other minor renovations can be done in the off-season if it hinders the possibility of conducting home games. These minor renovations can be part of the overall complete renovation of the stadium. Five million.

Those two extra million, here's an idea, let's use it to alleviate overcrowding by building additional classrooms, or upgrading some classrooms that are in need of new computers, or supplies. Let's go the extra mile, and use some of that two million to create programs to help underprivileged children with school supplies, and uniforms. Maybe set up funding for programs that would help "at-risk" children from dropping out. Start upgrading our existing elementary schools so that they all have a chance to be exemplary schools. Put money into upgrading programs for special needs children.

Two million, in my universe, is a lot of money. If this bond passes, let us at least make sure it's going towards something more practical than a new stadium. There's nothing wrong with the existing one that renovations cannot clear up. Many championships have been won in that stadium, it would be a shame to fathom what would happen to it, if a new one gets built. With everything that's been going on in PSJA lately, I can only imagine.