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District staff present eSports proposal to board, outline start-up and ongoing costs
Summary
District staff asked the board on Dec. 3 to sanction high-school eSports and reviewed start-up and ongoing cost estimates tied to UHSAA’s planned pilot and statewide rollout.
District staff presented an eSports briefing on Dec. 3, asking the board to sanction interscholastic eSports at the high-school level and to consider startup and ongoing costs tied to UHSAA’s planned rollout.
Area Director Emily Sutherland and athletics and activities program supervisor Nemani Satwala said the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) plans a beta season in spring 2025 and a full rollout for the 2025–26 school year. Staff reported roughly 40 Utah high schools already participate in non‑sanctioned eSports activities and that interest in the district is growing.
Staff provided a district estimate for a three-high-school startup: an equipment and room-setup budget of roughly $54,216 (including PCs, monitors and furniture), plus anticipated ongoing costs for equipment refresh, transportation and coach stipend equivalents that could total roughly $48,000 annually across three schools. Satwala said combined start-up and first-year personnel/transportation assumptions produced a total approximate cost of $94,000 across three schools, with per-school averages cited around $31,000–$32,000.
Satwala and staff emphasized several considerations: (1) games and IT security must be approved by district technology staff; (2) transportation will be required for regional and state competition and the district should budget for those trips; and (3) equity and fee-waiver policy implications should be resolved as the district finalizes the activity’s budget and fee structure. Staff compared eSports staff pay to existing activity stipends (for example, debate) and proposed eSports as coed varsity and junior-varsity offerings.
Board members expressed support for student opportunity but asked for additional financial clarity. Board Member Ashley Anderson asked how the activity would fit into the district’s evolving fee-waiver discussions; staff said they would work with the Business Office to position the program before budget decisions. Board members also requested clearer specifications for equipment standards and lifecycle replacement costs to ensure equitable access across schools.
No formal action was taken on Dec. 3; staff asked for board feedback and permission to continue planning with the goal of presenting budget options and a timeline for implementation ahead of 2025–26 planning decisions.
