# Most Expensive High School Football Stadium--A Piece of Junk? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 3, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-high-school-football-stadium-a-piece-of-junk/685279 "2014-04-03T18:24:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-high-school-football-stadium-a-piece-of-junk/685279/1 "2014-04-03T18:24:34Z")
Cracks in the most expensive high school football stadium in America (in Allen, Texas–$60 million dollars) could lead to its demolition after only two years. [http://www.designntrend.com/articles/11668/20140314/a-60-million-texas-high-school-football-stadium-could-be-demolished-after-only-two-seasons-video.htm](http://www.designntrend.com/articles/11668/20140314/a-60-million-texas-high-school-football-stadium-could-be-demolished-after-only-two-seasons-video.htm) Currently it is closed for safety reasons. Here is the preliminary engineering report: [http://cbsdallas.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/preliminary-nelson-report-jan-15-2014.pdf](http://cbsdallas.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/preliminary-nelson-report-jan-15-2014.pdf) Do we have anyone here who understands this report? Can improperly cured concrete be repaired in this situation (or is the only option tear it out and replace)? I am one of those who think it is crazy to spend big money on sports in the educational system. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-high-school-football-stadium-a-piece-of-junk/685279/2 "2014-04-03T20:10:41Z")
No, you aren’t the only one who thought, “Holy Crap! SIXTY million dollars! Think of the science labs that could have been funded for that amount of money.” But, I don’t live in Texas. I hear things are a bit different there. ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-high-school-football-stadium-a-piece-of-junk/685279/3 "2014-04-03T20:35:24Z")
That stadium is quite noteworthy, even for Texas. It’s been on the nightly news for several weeks now. Pretty ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-high-school-football-stadium-a-piece-of-junk/685279/4 "2014-04-03T20:38:20Z")
_Ha-ha!_ ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-high-school-football-stadium-a-piece-of-junk/685279/5 "2014-04-03T21:00:02Z")
Geez, and I thought Round Rock’s $27M Palace on Parmer was extravagant. Chump change apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-high-school-football-stadium-a-piece-of-junk/685279/6 "2014-04-03T21:39:37Z")
I start to post about this story and then [this story](http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Former-Plano-ISD-Employee-Admits-to-Embezzling--253418601.html) in an adjoining district under the heading of “An Explanation for Tax Rants”. Several times, folks on this board have sincerely asked of people (like me) who rant about various taxes, “What? Don’t you want good education for all kids?” Yes. Yes, I do. If a school board candidate or a state representative were to come to me tomorrow and say, “I want to double your property taxes and I will make sure every dollar of the increase ends up in a classroom.” I would vote for them in a heartbeat. Instead, we get this. The district in which I pay taxes just spent several million rebuilding their practice field and building a new giant gym. Before 20 of you jump on me an nit-pick my rant apart, I know I’m oversimplying a very complex problem. Texas politicians and school administators seem to think they did a splendid job of solving all of the funding issues we had 15 years ago (remember Robin Hood?). What really happened is a lot of districts got a flood of funding due to natural gas royalties and taxes and some benefitted from a huge tax base growth, like Allen and Plano. And they’ve been spending like drunken sailors. Sorry, I didn’t mean to tee off of this. I’ll shut up now. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-high-school-football-stadium-a-piece-of-junk/685279/7 "2014-04-03T21:51:24Z")
> [@Tully\_Mars](#): > > I start to post about this story and then [this story](http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Former-Plano-ISD-Employee-Admits-to-Embezzling--253418601.html) in an adjoining district under the heading of “An Explanation for Tax Rants”. > > Several times, folks on this board have sincerely asked of people (like me) who rant about various taxes, “What? Don’t you want good education for all kids?” > > Yes. Yes, I do. If a school board candidate or a state representative were to come to me tomorrow and say, “I want to double your property taxes and I will make sure every dollar of the increase ends up in a classroom.” I would vote for them in a heartbeat. I know what you mean, if it goes toward actual education I can agree with a tax. I remember back when I lived in Ohio there was a tax increase issue on the ballot, that was to go toward the schools. When I read the voter guide information I saw that over 70% of the funds were to go toward sports. Granted, football is a huge deal in the area I was in but I found that to be nuts. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-high-school-football-stadium-a-piece-of-junk/685279/8 "2014-04-03T21:56:22Z")
The administrators aren’t capriciously spending millions on stadiums. Million-dollar stadiums are exactly what the parents are voting for. I went to a meeting held when they were about to build a high-school in our area. Over 1/2 the parents asked questions about football and sports. That seemed to be their only concern. The taxpayers are getting exactly what they want from the school–Friday night entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-high-school-football-stadium-a-piece-of-junk/685279/9 "2014-04-03T22:04:46Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > The administrators aren’t capriciously spending millions on stadiums. Million-dollar stadiums are exactly what the parents are voting for. I wish I could disagree with you. Sadly, I can’t. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-high-school-football-stadium-a-piece-of-junk/685279/10 "2014-05-20T20:13:58Z")
More bad news, although the full report of damage is not yet available: $60M Allen football stadium deemed ‘not safe,’ will close this season [http://www.dallasnews.com/news/metro/20140519-exclusive-60m-allen-football-stadium-deemed-not-safe-will-close-this-season.ece](http://www.dallasnews.com/news/metro/20140519-exclusive-60m-allen-football-stadium-deemed-not-safe-will-close-this-season.ece) I predict the companies involved will want to do some patching, while the school district will want it rebuilt and the conflict will be in the courts for years. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-high-school-football-stadium-a-piece-of-junk/685279/11 "2014-05-20T20:43:31Z")
> [@Tully\_Mars](#): > > I wish I could disagree with you. Sadly, I can’t. All too true, even in California. When the high school was looking for a new principal, I got to go to an advisory meeting because I was on site council. Most of the concern was about sports. When I said that a candidate should be judged on his or her commitment to academic excellence, the other parents looked at me like I was nuts. Dumber and dumber parents think they are smarter and smarter.