Everybody’s Into the Pool, Even These Eighth-Graders

HARTLAND, Wis. — Just like many adults, eighth-graders at a Hartland school organized a gambling pool on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

But the pool was busted by police after a teacher got wind that the eighth-graders at North Shore Middle School were playing for a prize that had grown to $100--or $5 each for the 20 participants.

The youngsters were lectured by police and forced to write letters of apology to their parents. Principal Kathy Schwartz said the students had to learn that gambling might be tolerated in many places, but it’s not OK in school.

“We’re teaching these kids double messages in society,” she said.