I'm not sure I follow what you're saying, so let me briefly restate my thesis: Schools spend a lot of money on athletic programs because school boards approve

I'm not sure I follow what you're saying, so let me briefly restate my thesis: Schools spend a lot of money on athletic programs because school boards approve budgets that allocate those funds. The school boards do this because the voters who elect school board members like athletic programs. Further, those same voters and parents often contribute funds for athletics above and beyond those being contributed by the taxpayer. Voters want school athletics, voters get school athletics. The degree of "freedom" that students enjoy within the school athletic system wasn't what I meant by "democratic".