The stands on Friday nights at Rockville High School are always packed with students, staff, and community members coming together to watch the thrilling game of football. But what small fraction of these people come to the drama department’s productions or the annual Rockville Art Show?
Most of the attention of many public high schools is centered on sports, fostering an environment that encourages students to become athletes instead of artists and performers. However, high schools should give more attention (and more funding) to the arts departments, rather than focusing a majority of it on sports.
Art education has been proven to be extremely important for high school students, as it introduces teens to a variety of art forms in an accessible space. Moreover, art departments are underfunded in general—in Montgomery County, nationally, and worldwide—because of a widespread underappreciation for the arts.
The inclusion of art education in a high school curriculum is crucial in developing well-rounded, creative, problem-solving individuals who are more prepared to thrive in the future. Art allows students to develop critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and organizational skills that they can utilize later in life. Sports have their own benefits, of course, but the values that art instills in students significantly prepare them for a wide variety of careers.
Moreover, art is scientifically proven to improve mental health, whether you make music, paint a canvas, or perform in front of a crowd. It also creates a more diverse and understanding community by fostering the healthy environment that sports can sometimes lack.
But if art is so great, why do high school art departments need to fight to get the same funding that extracurricular sports get?
According to the MCPS 2026 Extracurricular Handbook, a Music Theatre Director gets a stipend of $1170 and the Competitive Marching Band gets $2970…while the Head Football Coach gets a stipend of $7182. This drastic difference between what teachers are paid to help with extracurriculars discourages them from spending time promoting the arts in comparison to coaching a sports team.
Some may believe that a football coach receives that much money because of the daily practice hours, but the marching band rehearses 3 hours a day and can spend up to 12 hours at a weekend competition. And tech week for the musical runs from the end of the school day to 7 p.m., not counting show hours.
Although an equal budget is ostensibly given to all MCPS extracurriculars and the booster club supports all extracurricular activities at Rockville, the smaller number of people in the arts programs means fewer fundraising opportunities, and therefore, less money. Also, the fine arts require specific materials that are more expensive than basic sports equipment that can be used for multiple years. This is why Friends of Rockville Music (FORM) helps raise money for the music department, and why many art teachers use their own money to buy supplies for students.
There’s also the matter of equality versus equity when it comes to funding extracurriculars. A full-scale stage musical—which needs to market, build sets, design costumes, and program lights and microphones—necessitates a much bigger budget than a sports team whose athletes provide their own equipment.
So, what can students at Rockville High School do to support the arts? Firstly, we can show the same encouragement given to sports teams when they have games: visit the school art gallery when there’s a new exhibition, cheer on your friends at the choir concert, or buy a ticket for the fall play. You or your family can donate if you have money or supplies to give to an art department. Finally, you can participate in the arts yourself. Go to the drawing club, join theatre, or even start your own art group.
Art requires hours of practice and refining skill, which high school artists can only do with support from the community. Can you master the art of supporting high school art education?
