Board made the wrong call on scoreboard

Video scoreboards don’t belong in high school gyms. Members of the Marathon School Board made the wrong call when choosing the shiny new toy over educational needs. On Aug. 13, board members in that district voted 3-2 to spend an additional $109,375 in local taxpayer money to purchase a video scoreboard for the high school gym. The additional cost is part of a $242,879 package to replace scoreboards in multiple school facilities. The final cost to taxpayers will be even higher as the district plans to borrow the money needed for the project, incurring interest expense.

The majority of the board was swayed by the desire for the shiny new toy and the inflated expectation that the district will be able to sell adverting in the form of commercials on the signs, with the projection that they could pay for themselves in five years.

Taxpayers and voters should take these claims with the same level of skepticism as the housewife whose husband is trying to convince her that he needs a new bass boat. The reality is that even deep pockets have their limits. Money spent on making high school basketball games feel like being at the Fiserv Forum is money that will come from other community sponsorships and support, especially at the level school officials dream of getting.

Equally fanciful are projections of any sort of educational merit from students running the video scoreboards. What is not said is that this will require the district to spend many thousands of dollars more in staff training, cameras and production and editing equipment that will become outdated before they are even delivered.

Responsible budgeting, regardless of whether it is at the personal, business or governmental level, is all about balancing needs versus wants. A video scoreboard boondoggle is solidly in the category of wants.

This balance between needs and wants is especially important when it comes to governments and schools using taxpayer money for frivolous extras. There is no doubt that a video scoreboard is slick and cool and would be nifty to have. If a booster organization or private donor wanted to foot the bill for such an expansive “want,” it might be worth it to consider. Spending taxpayer money for the whistles and bells simply because other schools have them and it might be nice to have is a waste at a time when belts are being tightened and educational spending scrutinized at the state and national level.

Beyond the fiscal irresponsibility of choosing to spend $109,375 extra on a fancy scoreboard versus curriculum or hands-on teacher and classroom needs, the board’s decision was the wrong choice on a societal level. The push for a video scoreboard is directly tied to the continued commercialization of youth sports.

Youth sports can be an amazing educational tool that helps build lessons of sportsmanship, teamwork and leadership along with learning to be graceful in victory and resilient in defeat. Commercialization of youth sports undermines those learning opportunities. Instead, it teaches lessons that winning is everything and that the goal should be to grab every dollar you can along the way.

Voters in Marathon School District should remember the board’s choice on how to best use taxpayer funds the next time the district comes around with hat in hand asking for support for future referendums.

There is little doubt that the sales pitch to have video scoreboards will be brought up at schools throughout the region if for no other reason than to keep up with what others are doing.

Voters must make their voices heard and demand that instead of being squandered on video scoreboards and the continued commercialization of youth sports, taxpayer funds belong being spent on classroom needs, curriculum and educational resources.

Central Wisconsin Publications Editorial Board consists of publisher Kris O’Leary and Star News editor Brian Wilson