Board approves public‑use signage for new courts and turf; trustees debate service‑animal wording

The school board approved signage to guide public use of recently opened tennis courts, turf and track facilities and discussed how to handle pets and service animals on protected playing surfaces.

District staff presented draft signs that explain permitted community use (after school hours and weekends), rules (no pets on the court surface, no video or photos that violate privacy), and monitoring (cameras in the area). The board voted to approve printing the signs and authorized staff to add or tweak language before production.

Board members pressed staff on whether signage should explicitly say "no pets/animals" or include an express exception or placement guidance for service animals. Staff and trustees said the intent is to protect the playing surface while permitting service animals to be present off the court as required by law. One trustee asked staff to add clarifying language that service animals may be present but should not be on the court surface; staff agreed to revise wording if needed and noted that additional small signs could be added later if misuse is reported.

The signage was estimated to cost about $150 each. Staff said courts are available to the public when not used for school activities and that the district may add an app or online reservation system in the future to track court reservations and user identities.

The motion to approve printing passed by roll call after board discussion.