Local 'partner' businesses sought for new scoreboards

McCOOK, Neb. — In order to purchase new electronic score boards, the McCook Public School District will be working with a company to promote partnerships with local businesses.

Superintendent Grant Norgaard said in the past, school districts would sign contracts with soda pop companies for vending machines and the companies would “throw in the scoreboard.” This isn’t being done anymore, as least not in this area, he said. With the district tightening its belt, the purchase of scoreboards is fairly significant.

Repairs for the scoreboards at Weiland Field and in the senior high gym have been “nickled and dimed” the past few years and the time has come to think about replacing them, said Jeff Gross, McCook High School principal, who with McCook School District Activities Director, Darrin Nichols, outlined “partnership packages” to the McCook Board of Education Monday night.

Along with representatives from the DakTronics company, school representatives will approach area entities for “anchor” and “founding” partnerships, where companies can have their logo in a lit panel on the scoreboards, as well as tagline/video on the display screen.

The scoreboard at Weiland Field will stay relatively the same, except for lighted panels with partnership names. The scoreboard at the gym with have a video display board, with the capacity to zoom in on action, display promotional videos and highlight activities at school. Students will operate the video and electronic equipment during high school events.

Gross said other school districts using the same kind of scoreboards include Scottsbluff, Beatrice and Sutton, as well as others. The last time the scoreboard was replaced in the gym was in 2002, Nichols said, and the one at Weiland Field hasn’t been replaced in the past 22 years since he’s been at McCook, Gross said. Nichols added that scoreboards were fairly large purchases, with the price per hour for repairing at $170.

Gross emphasized, “This isn’t a donation but a partnering with businesses.”

The partnerships are for five years, with an anchor partner at $3,000 per year, a Founding partner at $1,500 per year and a Premier partner at $750 per year.

School board member Brad Hays asked when partnerships would be sought and Gross said beginning sometime in September, with the scoreboards possibly being in place by the winter season if enough are sold. The scoreboards could be installed within six weeks and have a life expectancy of 15-20 years.

Board president Tom Bredvick, while acknowledging that it could be “a pretty big decision for some businesses,” also added that he was excited about the opportunity. The community has always stepped forward in helping out the school district, Bredvick said, and this was a way they could invest in the school and also benefit from it.