BVSD studies $2.38 million plan for five digital stadium scoreboards, plans contract return
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Summary
The district presented a study to replace five high-school stadium scoreboards with digital units at a one-time cost of about $2.38 million and a projected annual sponsorship income of roughly $400,000; board asked about noise, light, equity, maintenance and revenue sharing and directed staff to return with a contract.
Boulder Valley School District staff presented a study item on Feb. 10 proposing digital scoreboards at the district’s five high-school stadiums to upgrade facilities, expand CTE learning and generate ongoing sponsorship revenue.
Assistant Superintendent Rob Price estimated a one-time capital investment of about $2.38 million: roughly $1.99 million for the five digital units, $175,000 for fiber-optic infrastructure and a roughly $216,000 contingency. He said annual maintenance and software would be about $21,000 and staff projected sponsorship revenue of about $400,000 per year, producing a payback in about seven to eight years under conservative assumptions. "So I'm gonna assume the payback is gonna be 7 to 8 years," Price said when board members pressed on finances.
Board members raised neighborhood concerns about sound and light pollution and asked staff to consider board size differences, equity of revenue distribution across schools, and how the district would ensure advertising is not exclusive to a single corporate sponsor. Diane (board member) said she regularly hears athletic events in nearby neighborhoods and asked the district to plan for sound controls. Other members emphasized that revenue-sharing requirements in board policy KHB would ensure proceeds are distributed districtwide rather than to a single campus.
Several members also emphasized potential educational benefits: Dr. Anderson noted the scoreboards could support career and technical education (CTE) opportunities and give student media programs hands-on experience in content production. Rob Price said staff had consulted nearby districts and found advertising revenue ranges consistent with BVSD’s estimate.
The board concluded the item as study business and directed staff to return with a contract for further consideration. No contract was approved at the Feb. 10 meeting.
What's next: staff will prepare a contract and additional materials (including size/placement specs, neighborhood mitigation plans and revenue-allocation details) for a future board meeting.