Board hears proposal to offer free season passes to Winona High students for home athletic events

Casey Under, who presented the item, described a proposal to provide free season passes to Winona High School students (including Alternative Learning Center students and students from co‑op partner schools) so they can attend home athletic events at no cost.

How it would work: Under said the district would use GoFan’s season‑pass feature to issue digital passes to students in advance; passes would arrive by email and be stored on a student’s phone wallet or presented as a screen at the gate. For students without a phone, the district would issue paper passes at the school office, she said.

Why it matters: Under said attendance at games benefits student engagement and that a $3 admission fee can still be a barrier for some students. “I would rather see them at our events than somewhere else,” she said, adding coaches and activity directors support the idea.

Operational concerns: The presentation flagged practical challenges: gate staffing and supervision, volunteers and parent ticket‑workers are increasingly scarce, and some facilities where the district plays are city‑owned and managed differently. Under said ticket‑worker pay in current contracts is out of date and noted the district may need to revisit worker compensation and the volunteer model.

Security, data and middle‑school participation: Under said GoFan encrypts transactions and the district will receive macro attendance counts (e.g., number of student passes used) but not detailed personal purchase data. The board discussed whether middle‑school students or JV/9th‑grade participants should receive passes; administrators suggested starting with high school and ALC and evaluating expansion.

Next steps: Staff said they will refine processes for students without phones, finalize co‑op arrangements and return the proposal with operational details and a plan to address staffing at events.