The Data: These school districts would benefit most from using sports gambling revenue to pay high school coaches

A total of 77 school districts have average coaching supplements that fall below the $3,000 threshold mentioned in the proposed legislation.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Some members of the North Carolina state legislature are considering using tax revenue from sports gambling to help fund middle and high school sports coaches, and the data suggest it could have a significant impact in many districts.

Senate Bill 657 would set aside $11 million in sports betting tax revenue for coaches’ pay. It would guarantee that every middle and high school coach at public schools in North Carolina would make a stipend of at least $3,000 per season.

Not every coach would benefit from the current legislation, though.

The proposal does not include giving $3,000 from the state to every single coach in middle and high schools. Instead, the state government would provide the school district the difference between what a coach is paid and the $3,000 minimum threshold in the bill.

There is a catch for districts. The district must continue to fund a coach’s supplement at or above the current level in order to receive state funds.

For example, if a coach earns $2,000 today, the state government would fund an additional $1,000 for that coach, as long as the school district continues to pay the $2,000 supplement in the future. If a school district reduces the amount it pays a coach, it becomes ineligible to receive state funds.

According to data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, at least 77 school districts across the state have average coaching stipends that are below the $3,000 threshold. That’s the average in each district, so some coaches make more and some coaches make less than the average.

There is great variance in the average coaching supplement from district to district in North Carolina. The lowest average coaching supplement for an individual school district is under $1,000. Two districts report averages over $10,000.

So, which districts would benefit the most?