Tewksbury — The Tewksbury School Committee voted unanimously April 30 to accept a donated LED scoring table for Tewksbury Memorial High School and to allow the vendor to solicit commercial advertising for the display under school‑reviewed content rules.

What the committee approved: The committee voted to accept a donation of an LED scoring table from PowerAd and separately voted to permit commercial advertising on the unit, both motions passing by unanimous voice vote.

Why it matters: The device is intended for indoor sporting events and will be installed at no cost to the district. Advertising revenue is part of the vendor’s business model; the committee approved the arrangement after discussion about content controls, revenue splits and equipment warranty.

Key details presented
- Product and installation: Company representatives described the unit as a roughly 10‑foot LED screen that will serve as the scoring table for indoor athletics. The vendor will provide the board and the supporting technology and warranty coverage initially.
- Advertising and review process: The company will solicit local business advertisements for display board slots. The athletic director will review proposed ads and the company agreed that “family friendly” standards will apply; items deemed not family friendly will be rejected from display, with the athletic director having final review authority.
- Revenue split and timeline: Under the arrangement described at the meeting, the company retains advertising revenue for the first two years; beginning in the third year any profits from advertising will be split 50/50 between the company and Tewksbury Memorial High School. The company also stated it will continue to solicit ads after the initial two‑year period.
- Warranty and maintenance: The company said it will send technology support and warranty service; committee members asked for clarification about responsibility for repairs after the initial warranty period.

Committee discussion and questions
Members asked who approves ad content, how potentially problematic business names or words would be handled, what warranty and repair costs would be after the initial covered period, and which revenue account would receive future ad income. Business Manager Dave Libby said ad revenue would be deposited in the athletic revolving fund, where gate receipts and athletics‑related donations are typically recorded. Members also asked whether the district would be responsible for soliciting ads; the company said it would handle solicitation and keep revenue for two years before the revenue‑sharing arrangement began.

Votes and outcome
- Motion to accept the donation: motion made and seconded; voice vote in favor; recorded as unanimous. The committee also accepted a separate motion to permit advertising on the board; that motion passed unanimously.

Ending
Committee members approved the donation and the advertising proposal but asked administration to confirm post‑warranty responsibilities and to formalize the advertising‑review process before installation.