Texas High School Board Approves $62.8 Million Stadium

I never knew how big Texas high school football was until I saw the movie Friday Night Lights. The crowds are massive and they are dedicated. And while I respect any and all athletic funding, this story is making me think twice.

A school board in McKinney, Texas has approved plans to build a $62.8 million stadium. Yes, you read that right. A little over $50 million of the price tag is coming out of the town's $220 million bond. The remaining $12.5 million of the stadium's construction has already been raised. The money will also go toward all of the facilities for the stadium such as roofing, plumbing, heating, air conditioning.

None of the bond money is going toward improving the school's facilities. My disconnect with the story is I come from a school system where an amount of money that large theoretically would go toward improving school buildings, or perhaps the construction of a whole new school. On the other hand, if this new super expensive stadium is state of the art, it will last for years and years.

What do you think? Would you approve that amount of money for a new stadium or a improvements to the school system?