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Board hears plan for school‑day girls basketball game to showcase new gym
Summary
At a Galena City School District board meeting, staff proposed holding a sanctioned school‑day girls basketball game on Jan. 29 to boost school pride and girls’ sports, outlining logistics for student supervision, family sections, streaming and safety; board asked staff to return with details for approval.
The Galena City School District board on April 21 heard a detailed proposal to stage a sanctioned girls basketball game during the school day to showcase the district’s new gym and promote student engagement.
Mr. Freed presented the plan, saying the district is proposing a Friday, Jan. 29 varsity game with a 1 p.m. start so the contest should conclude by about 2:30 p.m. He told trustees the event would be aimed at promoting girls’ sports and school pride, with band, cheer and dance performances woven in and opportunities for elementary students to watch and participate in halftime activities.
The proposal included logistical safeguards: teachers would supervise classes brought into the gym, younger grades would be seated nearer exits to accommodate restroom needs, the district would create a separate family/guest section and limit admission consistent with capacity and safety rules, and certified officials would be used because the contest would count toward regular season records under IHSA rules. Mr. Freed also suggested streaming the game and forming a student committee to assist with planning and activities.
Mr. Freed said the planning team’s rough attendance estimate is about 900 students (district estimate), and that administrators were discussing whether to reserve seating for visiting (Eastland) parents and staff. He noted several unresolved logistics that will be returned for board action at a future meeting, including final capacity counts, how family admissions will be managed, any concessions limitations and whether t‑shirts or donated items will be distributed.
Board members asked practical questions about alternate dates in case of weather, coordination with Eastland so both districts do not pick conflicting dates, and operational items such as ticketing, streaming and supervision. Trustees emphasized the need to ensure the event complies with IHSA policies, which Mr. Freed acknowledged: a sanctioned contest must count toward both schools’ records and use certified officials.
The board signaled general support and asked staff to gather outstanding details and return with a formal recommendation at the next meeting. No formal vote was taken at this session.
The next procedural step is for staff to prepare a final plan addressing capacity, guest management, expenses and any required IHSA paperwork and present it for formal board approval.
