Students at any high school are likely to compete with each other (friendly or unfriendly in nature) for any reason they can get their hands on. But light boasting between clubs may have more grounds to occur on than the students can control. Whether it’s new sports equipment, a new Yamaha piano to grace the music rooms, new lights backstage, or even a new gavel for Model Congress, this form of disparity between clubs is something that has been controversial among students in more recent years.

Obviously, different clubs need different equipment, all at varying cost, but with members of certain clubs and/or sports teams feeling duped, maybe there is a flaw in the way we distribute our budget. For example, the Equestrian Team has little to no funding allotted from the school budget, and all equipment is bought for and/or provided by the students and their families for the individual riders. With an entrance fee of $150, not including team jackets and spirit wear other than uniforms that must be returned at the end of the season, it’s obvious that in some extracurriculars, it’s not the school budget that is pulling the weight. In addition to the other expenses of such a great program, the salaries of the coach and trainer must also be covered, which are given separately.

As if there wasn’t enough reason to fund the Equestrian team, facilities for shows and other events are extremely pricey to rent, one of the most common venues is the Oakrise Horse Farm, right here in Goffstown.

As for another branch of the spectrum of clubs in this school, the Performing Arts Department is one whose support is sometimes debated. Don’t get me wrong, we have a wonderful program, and we are lucky to have the budgeting we do for this branch, because we have one of the best programs in the state (and the only public in-school dance program in the entire state) but the source of income has less opportunities to prevail than that of say, a sports team. With athletic games that bring in revenue from ticket sales every week or so of the season–or even more often than that– it can be easier to break even and pay for the equipment needed. However, theatrical and/or vocal and instrumental performances aren’t a weekly event, and take more time to prepare and put on. Therefore, less income is coming into the program from that source. The school does budget for this department pretty well, but athletic teams don’t have it perfect either. Things are never going to be perfect, and there are always going to be things that some feel need to be fixed, and that’s okay. What matters is being aware of it and for students to take responsibility if they feel something’s not the way it should be.

These are just some examples of clubs with and/or without budgets in the school. While many others could be named, the most important aspect of this situation is that we may need to revisit the funding that certain clubs get at GHS, Though it is hard to compare the budgeting that clubs are given–because every club is different and therefore needs an according budget.

Budgeting is a sticky subject, because we only get a certain amount…an amount that needs to be distributed in a way that provides for every club and for what it needs. We’re very lucky to have such a wide array of clubs here at Goffstown High, and something for every student to enjoy, and an extracurricular for every student’s niche. Most schools can’t say the same. Students have the opportunity here to form clubs and take the initiative to do something they think is important, which is a great thing to have in a school.

Image Source: http://normac.ca/depreciation-reports-financial-planning/