Board approves athletic purchasing and ticketing agreements, members press for contract transparency

The Council Rock School District board approved two vendor agreements on Jan. 22 that the administration said will streamline athletics operations but that some trustees said should have been circulated earlier for review.

Ms. Stone moved to approve the athletic purchasing agreement with Campus Clothes "subject to solicitor's review and audit," and the motion passed unanimously in an 8–0 roll call. Administrators said the contract carries no purchase obligation and is intended to give athletic departments flexibility to secure quality supplies after repeated problems with prior vendors.

Board members then considered a ticketing agreement with Hometown Ticketing. The motion to approve that agreement, again subject to solicitor review, passed 7–1 after a robust discussion about fees and transparency. "I don't see a contract," said Mr. Hidalgo during debate; he later abstained on some consent items earlier in the meeting citing lack of posted contracts. Mr. Roosevelt argued the board should have time to review contract language before approving agreements that affect the public. Administration responded that contracts were received late, will be sent to the solicitor and board members, and that both agreements include solicitor review and termination clauses.

Administrators also said the ticketing product will include a mandatory cash option (recent legislation and PIAA playoff rules require offering cash purchases) and that transaction fees charged to credit-card purchasers will not change the advertised cash ticket price. The district said the athletics contract is local and provides customer-service advantages.

Both approvals were explicitly conditioned on solicitor review; trustees requested that the administration distribute the contract drafts to the board and the solicitor promptly so members can flag concerns before final signatures.