District athletics: board hears plan for digital ticketing, facility fixes and staffing pressures

Kelly Bridal presented the activities update and highlighted the district’s strong participation in fall and winter sports and the growth of drama and music programs. She told the board the district moved away from Hometown Ticketing to a digital vendor (transcript: "GoFant") and is looking to transition fully to digital ticketing next fall.

"Not to the school," Bridal said of the platform cost. "There is the processing fee just like your credit card fees, gets passed along to the consumer." She also noted the district already offers $95 season passes and boosters have started accepting credit cards for concessions.

Bridal described remaining work from the new facility project — a practice field needing maintenance and a baseball field leak to be addressed in spring — and said the new scoreboard/wind scribe would be installed for spring athletics. She raised concerns about shortages of officials and junior-high coaches and noted Hiawatha Valley League (HBL) initiatives to address sportsmanship and officials recruitment.

During questioning, board members discussed possible co-op arrangements for sports (for example, boys volleyball with a nearby district) and asked about financial burdens. The superintendent noted that the district subsidizes activities and in past years the district has covered roughly $700,000 annually to support all sports after fees and receipts; Bridal added that activities typically operate at a deficit and that officials and mandated requirements have increased costs.

The board requested additional details about costs and implementation for a move to cashless venues and asked administration to continue exploring equitable options for families who prefer or require a non-digital purchasing option.