Montgomery County is a very wealthy area, able to supply its public high schools with quality sports facilities. But, have you ever seen the pool at Georgetown Prep or the 5,500-square-foot weight room at the Landon School? Students at both private and public schools agree that the former generally have superior facilities and sports programs.
“I think private schools do normally have better facilities than public schools,” Georgetown Prep athlete, sophomore John Willis said.
Private schools are able to gather a lot of funding from student tuition and alumni donations. This allows them to foster exceptional sports programs that include things like full-size swimming pools, personalized team locker rooms and other luxuries.
On the other hand, public schools have limited funds that must be shared across the entire county. This requires schools to spend money on only what is most important for their sports programs. Public schools often don’t even have space for facilities like a swimming pool or the funding for its maintenance.
“Sports are a very serious part of most private schools in Maryland, so the schools focus on building nice facilities to help train the players,” Willis said.
But do these superior facilities lead to better players and more championship trophies? Students have differing opinions about whether private school teams are generally more successful. Certain students believe that private schools have an advantage because of their ability to recruit players.
“Private schools can recruit their players, so anyone who is playing at a higher level can just go to private school,” Pappafotis said.
However, other students feel public schools can in some cases be just as competitive, even without recruiting.
“There is a good range of competition and sometimes games are between a public and a private school,” swimmer, senior Addie Pollitt said. “One thing for certain is the fact that public schools have so much talent and such strong teams because they pull from such a wider group than private schools.”
Private schools are often recognized for providing better exposure to college scouts for their athletes who want to play after high school. However, some students disagree and think that private school athletes have no advantage.
“Private schools for sure encourage more scouts to come and watch their games, but if a coach wants to see a player from a public school, that player has no less of an advantage had they gone to a private school,” Pollitt said. “With technology and data online, any coach can find any athlete.”
While private schools do enjoy the benefits of things like on-site swimming pools, golf courses, and more, MCPS students still have use of suitable athletic facilities and programs.
