From March 2008:

As the Chamblee Bulldogs’ impressive football season began to take shape, the team garnered a considerable amount of attention. As the season and postseason went on, the accolades for Chamblee High School continued. When the semifinal game at the Georgia dome came, most of the student body, much of the Chamblee community, and several alumni groups were all present to cheer the team on.
Of course with all of this attention the Bulldogs earned something else: money.
Now that the football season is over, questions are being raised about where all of this money went.
In accordance with DeKalb County policy, much of the money which the Chamblee Bulldogs helped to bring in did not go directly back to the Chamblee’s athletic program. Instead, it went to the DeKalb County Department of Athletics
“It is the DeKalb County Board of Education policy that all revenue from athletic events flows into a centralized account,” said Ron Sebree, director of Athletics for DeKalb County.
This includes money from football game ticket sales and a check which was given to the school by Georgia High School Athletics. At the Class AAA semifinal game at the Georgia Dome, the Chamblee Bulldogs brought in an estimated $27,000. Every dime of this money goes directly back to the general DeKalb County athletic budget, which funds 17 sports at 19 high schools and 20 middle schools.
This does not sit well with some athletic coaches.
“This team that made the appearance at the Dome should make a bigger portion of the profits than the other schools,” said Jim Showfety, CHS’s head football coach.
Moreover, the funding for Chamblee athletic programs will not be increased as a result of the success of Chamblees’ athletic teams
“The money is designated equally to each school,” said Sebree. “Game attendance and/or ticket sales do not affect how much is designated to each school.”
DeKalb County estimates that Chamblee football games brought in $91,288 through ticket sales alone during the 2007 football season.
According to Sebree, Chamblee’s overall athletic expenses for the 2007 fiscal year were approximately $64,414.63, excluding transportation for the varsity and junior varsity football teams. Of that, approximately $42,132 was used by the varsity and junior varsity football programs, again excluding transportation expenses. These costs include equipment, officials for home games, and athletic dues, among other things.
Despite this, the Chamblee Bulldogs were not without financial troubles this season, according to Showfety. Halfway through the season, the team’s equipment supply fell short. Without any additional funding from the county, the team had to rely on Chamblee alumni to pay for essential items such as shoulder pads.
The financial situation draws mixed emotions from Bulldog players.
“We shouldn’t get money because we’re a good team,” said defensive lineman Taylor Loftley. “But I think that the school should get some money back because of the fans who supported the team.”
Between the playoff games against Westover and Carver-Columbus, Chamblee pre-sold approximately 2,200 tickets to students and community members, according to Lowery. Despite the almost exclusively Chamblee fan base to which these tickets were sold, the money from these 2,200 tickets goes back to the general county budget, where it could be used for any athletic program at any school in the country.
For example, when a Chamblee student pays for admission to a Chamblee game like football or basketball, that money could help pay for new uniforms for Redan High School’s baseball team or Lakeside High School’s soccer team.
“I think that it is very sad that the money can’t be used for the programs that earned it,” said Leila Warren, Chamblee’s head cheerleading coach.
Despite concerns over the overall fairness of the distribution of the funds, ticket sales provide the backbone for the annual county budget.
In the proposed DeKalb County 2007-2008 budget, over 95% of the county’s revenue comes from a category that includes athletic event ticket sales.
One of the main aspects of the budget is the allocation of funds for new uniforms and equipment for each high and middle school in the county, on a rotating basis of every three years for each high school and four years for middle school. This year only Chamblee’s soccer team is scheduled to get new uniforms.
However, schools can raise additional funds through booster clubs and from sponsors who act as “partners in education.”
Still, many athletes and coaches feel shortchanged by the county.
“If the county is going to handle the allocations of the sources, I think that they need to make sure that all teams have adequate resources,” said Showfety.