DECATUR — DECATUR - School board members voted to purchase a new basketball scoreboard for the Decatur High School gym at the Nov. 19 school board meeting.
Decatur superintendent Larry Ben presented the board with an email from head basketball coach and athletic director John Unger, explaining the need for a new scoreboard. Unger was unable to attend the meeting in person, Ben explained.
“Due to the age of the scoreboard, we are in need of an updated scoreboard system for the gym. There have been numerous times in my 1 1/2 years that the scoreboard has completely gone out during a senior high basketball game. This is not acceptable to me,as we are in the process of changing the culture at Decatur and want to look professional in everything we do,” Unger wrote in the email.
Unger proposed a plan to sell sponsorships to pay for the basketball scoreboards, as was done with the football scoreboards. The proposal would raise $10,000 over the next five years and after that the sponsor money would be used for extra fundraising money, Unger wrote.
He noted that two new sponsors - Arvest Bank and Simmons Foods - have been added to the football scoreboard. Each business is in a contract for five years, and the main football scoreboard will be paid off in five years under the plan.
Unger included quotes for a scoreboard from Rainey Electronics in Little Rock for $9,519.12 and from Olen Williams, Inc., of Euless, Texas, for $12,086.11.
The board voted to purchase the lower priced scoreboard from Rainey Electronics. Ben noted that it is the same company that recently installed the football scoreboard.
In other business, the school board voted to purchase technology equipment to turn the Decatur Northside Elementary School library into a multimedia room.
The addition of a ceiling-mounted projector, a wall-mounted screen and microphone and sound systems will cost $5,675.60.
The additions will make it easier to use the library for teacher training and professional development meetings, as well as meeting with parents andstudents, according to elementary school principal Jeff Gravette.
The board approved two resignations, one from the district technology coordinator and another from an evening custodian. It also approved hiring a new evening custodian and two new bus drivers. All the new hires were for existing positions that had been left vacant, Ben said.
The board also approved seven stipends for baseball and softball coaches, as well as student council and senior trip sponsors.
The next school board meeting will begin with an executive session at 6 p.m. for a pre-review of Ben's performance as superintendent, followed by a regular session at 7 p.m., Dec. 17, in the district’s professional development room at the high school.
Sports, Pages 9 on 12/05/2012