A proposal to install a large video scoreboard at Riverside Park could eventually change how Iola supports its athletic programs, with school officials exploring whether community partnerships and advertising revenue could make the nearly $200,000 project possible.
Iola Middle School Vice Principal and Athletic Director Scott Brady introduced the concept to the USD 257 Board of Education Monday evening, explaining that he, Superintendent Stacey Fager, Director of Operations Aaron Cole and Iola High School Vice Principal and Athletic Director Tristan Carson met with Fieldhouse Media to discuss the idea.
Brady said district officials had talked about adding a video scoreboard in the past but had never found the right opportunity.
The proposed display would feature a 12-foot-by-20-foot video screen along with digital sponsor panels, making it significantly larger than the district’s current scoreboard.
“We would be one of one,” Brady said. “We would be the talk of southeast Kansas with something like this in our community.”
He said the company recommended leaving the board operating throughout the day, making it visible from the roadway beyond the levee. Rather than viewing it simply as advertising, Brady said the company presented it as a long-term marketing opportunity with room for commercials, sponsorships and community messaging.
Brady added that he believes the board could eventually become the district’s primary fundraising tool for athletics. “Instead of every team having to fundraise and do their own things, we think that this would be big enough that we would do all of our fundraising through this,” Brady said.
THE PROPOSAL presented to the district includes multiple funding options. One would require the district to pay half the cost while Fieldhouse Media sells advertising and splits the resulting revenue for five years. Brady said he preferred purchasing the board outright so the district could retain all future advertising income.
The board shown in the proposal carries a price tag of about $196,000.
“We’re not necessarily asking for the money,” Brady said. “We know times are tight.”
Instead, he suggested the project could be funded through a major community donor willing to permanently associate a business with the scoreboard.
“Is there someone who has that kind of money who is invested in the school district, maybe they have grandkids or kids coming up,” Brady said.
BEYOND varsity football, Brady said the display could be used during middle school football, junior varsity contests, youth football, track meets and community events. One possibility discussed was moving movie nights from the downtown square to Riverside Park, where families could watch films from blankets on the new artificial turf.
The video board also would provide functions unavailable with the current scoreboard, including displaying running times and live results during track meets. Brady said purchasing a separate timing display would cost approximately $18,000.
He also envisioned career and technical education students in photography and yearbook classes helping operate the system during events by producing replays and other video features.
“They would be the ones that we’re hoping would be willing to come and help,” Brady said.
