Some still do today, but not all. As for the sports - some want it, some don't. It depends on who you side with.
Private schools have sports programs too, so that's nothing peculiar to public schools.
Just something to think about. The first thing that the public schools need to do is to determine who is in control of the education system. Hopefull, someone will realize that it is the parents and their children who should be in control of the school system. Then the school system should determine what the purpose of the school system. It is to educate the children of the community.