Why does the administration at Edgewater High lower their disciplinary standards for members of the track team in the novel, They’ll Never Catch Us?

Edgewater High's most important team in the school is the track team, which gives the school a ton of fundraising money. The coach and principal are under pressure to keep the track team high performing so that they do not become like other schools whose star teams have lost their edge and their fundraising, their IB programs, and the rate of their college matriculation. Because of this, the administration allows the track team to get away with lots of trouble that other students would not be able to get away with.