Duxbury Youth Softball asks school committee to allow advertising on fields to fund repairs; committee urges safeguards

Duxbury Youth Softball told the Duxbury School Committee it is seeking permission to erect windscreen signs with advertising on Onion Field to raise revenue for field repairs, equipment and scholarships, saying recent field conditions have created safety concerns and that comparable programs in neighboring towns rely on such advertising.

Chris Davidson, president of Duxbury Youth Softball, told the committee the feeder program is growing and that targeted field repairs cost roughly $6,000 per field. "We are willing to take that on," he said, describing damaged outfields, depressions that caused players to fall, and past reliance on modest fundraising that has not met maintenance needs.

The administration and committee members discussed how advertising revenue would be handled under district policy. Officials said the current advertising policy permits advertising on school property but that funds generated on school- or town-owned fields cannot be routed directly to an outside organization. Instead, advertisers would need to write checks to Duxbury Public Schools and the district would manage the funds in either the gifts-to-schools account or the athletic revolving account and permit earmarking for softball uses (field maintenance, equipment, helmets, etc.).

Committee members and staff flagged several implementation questions: which account would hold advertising income, whether an escrow or restricted account should be used, who signs off on ad design and content, and how to avoid unfair advantages to other youth organizations. Several members urged transparency, monthly reporting and procurement oversight by the facilities/business office.

There was no formal policy change at the meeting; instead the committee endorsed a path forward that would let Duxbury Youth Softball solicit advertisers under the existing policy while routing funds through district accounts and requiring superintendent approval of advertisers and signage. Committee members asked the district athletics/funding task force to prioritize the advertising/accounting issue and requested that proponents return with proposed sign designs and a clearer revenue-flow plan for the March 25 meeting (or sooner).

The committee also recommended staff and the task force explore safeguards such as a restricted/escrow account, an agreement governing how earmarked funds are approved and reported, and a collaborative decision-making process between the district and the youth organization on purchases paid with earmarked funds. Committee members stressed that any long-term policy amendments should be completed deliberately to avoid creating inconsistencies or unfair treatment of other youth groups.

The presenters said local businesses were already in the queue and emphasized they seek to support local youth athletics, not to commercialize district property. The committee agreed to receive a refined proposal from the softball group and task force work as the next step.