Bob Hohler of the Boston Globe writes about an innovative, broad-based initiative called the Boston Scholar Athlete Program that will include financial and other support from foundations, corporations, and academic institutions. Major participants include Suffolk Construction Co., New Balance, and Good Sports. The full article can be seen at http://www.boston.com/sports/schools/articles/2009/08/03/boston_to_get_school_athletics_boost/?page=1.

(Excerpt)

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino will announce today the creation of a multimillion-dollar charitable foundation and consortium of professional sports teams, colleges and universities, and corporations to enhance opportunities for Boston student-athletes – a potential breakthrough for Boston’s chronically underfunded high school athletic system.

The partnership plans to boost the annual athletic budget for the Boston public schools over the next three years from about $4 million to an average of $6.5 million, a 61.5 percent increase with the potential to restore the system’s respectability. Menino launched the initiative after a Globe series detailed deep-rooted inadequacies in equipment, facilities, coaching, and academic eligibility in the school sports system.