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Southgate board approves new track timing system not to exceed $19,000
Summary
The Southgate Community School District Board approved buying an automated track timing system, citing cost savings over repeated rentals and integration with AthleticNet and MHSA seeding.
The Southgate Community School District Board of Education approved the purchase of an automated track timing system not to exceed $19,000 on March 28, 2025.
District staff told the board the system will replace recurring rentals used for track meets, provide more precise results, and post times in real time to AthleticNet for seeding by the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSA).
A district staff member, the meeting presenter, described the equipment as a wristband-based automatic timing system that pairs a finish-line camera with a laptop and the AthleticNet service. "This is an investment that will be used to improve the quality of our events. It will also allow the high school and middle school and elementary events to be more streamlined and showcase our results in real time," the staff member said.
The presenter said there is essentially one vendor for the core system (LINX), with two package options: a gold series at about $19,000 that adds two cameras and a nine-digit LED display useful for distance and cross-country events, and a base package for about $16,480. The system integrates with AthleticNet, which the presenter said is used by the MHSA to seed regional competitions.
Board members noted the district has paid between $200 and $2,500 per event in past years for rental timers and that a recent rental quote for a nearby vendor had exceeded $1,200 for a single event. The presenter said buying the system and training district staff and coaches would eliminate the middleman and save money over time.
Dr. Pomponio moved to approve the purchase not to exceed $19,000; the motion received support and passed by voice vote with no opposition recorded.
The superintendent's office will proceed with the purchase and train staff to operate the system; the presenter said results will be displayed on the scoreboard and posted to AthleticNet.
