"You know why they have that 10 million dollar football stadium (the one near where I live cost more and has a Jumbotron)? They have it because the next town over has it, and because the parents let them get away with it."
You make it sound like most people/voters/parents want this.
Simple question: HOW MANY VOTERS said yes to it?
What was the turnout.
A lot of the blame goes to the boards and the educrats for pushing this junk.
Let me tell you how HARD it is to defeat these bond elections. First they set it up so the bond committee works with building contractors. Everyone in the room has a vested interest in raping the taxpayer to build the educrat empire.
Then they have the elections (here in Texas) at odd dates with low community participation. They also have 'early voting' at select locations. What locations? why schools of course! The 'pro-bond' money comes from the contractors, who will make money on the buildings, so its an 'investment' and the school administrators are adept at treating taxpayer money like free money.
They grease the wheels to make these things happen, and there is rarely organized opposition because its 'only' the taxpayer getting stuck with the bill, and it is never phrased as the tax increase it really is. ... last year though residents stopped a big bond package here in ROund Rock school district. they wanted a $100 million high school and other absurdities.
It took a lot of concerted effort but it was voted down 2-to-1. OTOH, what will the board do? Just come back again with another proposal!!!
Yes, parents with wrong priorities are to blame and voters who vote for this stuff are to blame too... but when you have bond elections that have 5% voter turnout, and the 'special interests' ie building contractors are paying off the boards to put out glossy material on how great an idea this is, to uninformed unorganized voters, some of whom are football parents with stars in their eyes ... well, I'd call it the Educrat 'culture of corruption and waste'.