Athletic teams may get the lion's share of the attention, but school administrators say they don't necessarily get the lion's share of a district's budget.

Thursday, May 20, 1999

In these days of tight budgets, the majority of the money that supports any program comes from fundraising.

Most teams and bands do serious extra fundraising on the side to purchase things like new uniforms and equipment.

Here''s a look at the money a few local school districts contribute to their after-school sports programs versus what they contribute to their in-classroom music programs.*

Carmel

Unified

* $291,628/year for sports programs at middle school and high school level (total students: 1,300). Translation: $169/per student.

* $292,536/year for music programs at all school levels: elementary, middle and high school (total students: 2,320). Translation: $126/per student.

Monterey Peninsula Unified

* Approximately $400,000 a year for sports programs in the district''s four middle schools and two high schools (total students: 5,335). Translation: $75/student.

* Approximately $600,000 a year for music programs in the district''s 16 elementary schools, four middle schools and two high schools (total students: 12,200). Translation: $49/student.

Salinas

Union High

* Approximately $700,000 a year for sports programs in the district''s four high schools (total students: 7,535). The district''s three middle schools each receive roughly $5,000 each year exclusively for sports programs (total students: 3,890). Translation: $93/high school student; $4/middle school student.

* The district contributes approximately $17,259 a year to the music programs in its three middle schools and four high schools (total students: 11,425). The money includes 11 teacher stipends of $1,195, plus an addition $4,114 for supplies. Translation: $1.51/student. Note: That figure excludes music teachers'' salaries. If the salaries were factored in, the number would be much higher, SUHSD business services superintendent Jim Earhart says.

*All figures provided are the amounts school districts contribute specifically toward athletic and music programs. District officials stress that individual schools may also contribute money from "discretionary-spending" funds to both music and sports programs. Parent and student fundraising contributes additional money.