Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Cuyahoga Heights board hears plans to replace stadium scoreboard and lights; votes expected in two weeks
Loading...
Summary
Athletic director Paul Gerrish presented proposals to replace a failing 31‑year‑old scoreboard and retrofit stadium lighting with LED fixtures. Staff proposed using rental and digital‑billboard funds and cooperative purchasing; the board discussed costs, timing and procurement and could vote on the projects at its next meeting.
The Cuyahoga Heights Local Board of Education on April 13 heard a staff presentation on two athletic facility capital projects — replacement of the stadium scoreboard and replacement of aging stadium lighting — with formal votes expected at the board’s next meeting.
Paul Gerrish, the district’s athletic director and student activities leader, told the board the current stadium scoreboard is 31 years old, frequently fails and uses obsolete replacement parts. “There’s a guy that I call. His name is Otto, and he’s Otto, the scoreboard guy,” Gerrish said, describing repeated repairs and parts scarcity. Gerrish said vendor quotes for a new, functional scoreboard ranged widely depending on features; an early estimate of about $281,000 had been trimmed by scope and vendor options to a lower‑cost configuration. Gerrish and staff presented a district share near $27,561 for the scoreboard after accounting for a Booster Club contribution for an optional arch and installation costs.
On stadium lighting, Gerrish said fixtures and internal wiring are at the end of their useful life and that brittle wiring and repeated lamp failures have created reliability and safety concerns. He recommended replacing 48 fixtures with 52 new LED fixtures, installing new wiring and using LED units that carry a 10‑year manufacturer warranty. Gerrish said one vendor package, procured through the Ohio Schools Council cooperative purchasing process, came in at roughly $133,000 (district cost) for the lighting retrofit.
Board members asked about procurement, lead times and disruptions to athletics. Gerrish said the scoreboard vendor relationship with BSN Sports would be used for the scoreboard procurement and that installation for both projects could be scheduled for June or July to complete work before fall sports begin. Removal, installation and any minor structural work (for example, welding to accommodate an arch) were presented as part of the installation scope.
Treasurer and staff described funding sources: Gerrish and the superintendent said the scoreboard district share would come from a Trinity rental revenue fund that has accumulated stadium rental receipts; the Booster Club offered to pay for an optional logo arch. For lighting, staff proposed using revenue from the district’s digital‑billboard lease account, a fund typically reserved for stadium and field maintenance. Board members pressed staff to confirm remaining balances in those accounts and to preserve money committed to turf replacement and other long‑term obligations.
No binding votes were taken on April 13. Gerrish said staff will bring formal purchase and contract documents back for board action at the next meeting; the board discussed timing to ensure projects are completed before the fall sports schedule begins.
