Olathe recently completed a $10 million, 73-acre sports complex, its second such facility.

Rockhurst High School has a new football stadium, and the Blue Valley School District is installing Bermuda grass on the ball fields of its multipurpose sports complex.

High school sports have played an important role in the community as long as high schools have existed. The difference today is that more students are participating in sports, the media is paying more attention and school districts are turning to sports and activities complexes in place of sports fields at individual high schools.

"Why wouldn't it get a lot of media coverage, when so many kids are involved?" said Tony Severino, head football coach at Rockhurst High School. "Sports are highly visible. My classroom is every Friday night, in front of 6,000 people."

At Rockhurst, 460 of the 1,000 students played fall sports in 2003. Similarly, about half of the Blue Valley District's 5,500 high school students participate in sports activities.

Public and private schools budget and raise money for athletics differently, but the result is the same. Significant money is allocated to athletics because parents and students demand it and because athletics contribute to the educational mission, area athletic directors said.

"My philosophy is that activities serve as the other half of education," said Mike Slagle, director of school administration and athletics/activities for the Blue Valley School District.

The budget for athletic activities at Rockhurst comprises about 2 percent to 3 percent of the school's overall annual expenditures. In Olathe, most athletic expenses are incurred at the individual high school level and amount to about 12 percent to 15 percent of each school's annual budget, said Jim Ater, district athletic director. The district reimburses schools for championship expenses, which amounted to about $45,000 last year.

Slagle estimated that Blue Valley high schools spent $1.8 million on student extracurricular and co-curricular activities for 2003-2004, with about $1 million of that financing athletics.

"Money for our athletic facilities comes from the (district's) capital improvement budget," Slagle said. "Bond issue money builds our schools, and the general operating budget is money from the state that supports the classrooms.

"Private schools can raise private funds for their athletics facilities. There is no independent money pumped in (to support our facilities), but we are investigating corporate sponsorships."

Severino, who also worked in public schools for a number of years, said he thinks public schools have an advantage in raising money for athletics.

"I think it's actually easier for them (to raise funds) because they can throw out a bond issue," he said. "We have to get private funds for everything. When we completed a major capital campaign, the new stadium came during the third phase."

That line of thought is reiterated by athletic directors throughout the area -- sports are important, but academics remain the top priority.

"It's our educational system that draws the kids, not our sports facilities," said Darwin Rold, district athletic coordinator for the Lee's Summit School District.

Lisa Waterman Gray is a free-lance writer in the Kansas City area.