Who to thank for new scoreboards at Memorial Stadium? Taxpayers aren't on the list.

Trish Choate, Wichita Falls Times Record News
·2 min read

Local businesses are stepping up to fund scoreboards for Memorial Stadium through a new program.

Wichita Falls ISD has drummed up pledges to athletic sponsorships for $760,000 over five years, and nearly $100,000 has already come in, WFISD Communications Officer Ashley Thomas said at a recent meeting.

The sponsorship funds will pick up the tab for a $446,740 scoreboard package to replace the existing scoreboard and put another one at the other end of the field at Memorial Stadium.

This is a representational image provided by OES Scoreboards of what the 35-by-25-foot LED display to be installed at the south end of Memorial Stadium will look like.
This is a representational image provided by OES Scoreboards of what the 35-by-25-foot LED display to be installed at the south end of Memorial Stadium will look like.

The package from OES Scoreboards will include an 18-foot scoreboard at the north end of the field and a 35-by-25 LED display at south end, WFISD Chief Financial Officer Leah Horton told trustees Feb. 13.

Work on the scoreboards was expected to begin soon and take about eight weeks. Trustees voted 6-0 to buy them using sponsorship funds. Place 4 Trustee Dale Harvey was not at the meeting.

Officials expressed their thanks to the businesses that have anted up for sponsorships.

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“Hallelujah that our community is stepping up and joining us," School Board President Katherine McGregor said at the meeting. "This is all about helping kids.“

Thomas said the sponsorships will appear not only at Memorial Stadium but also at Memorial and Legacy high schools in gyms and outdoor athletic facilities.

Thomas said the sponsorships come in three levels over five years:

  • Gold: $10,000 a year, $50,000 total

  • Silver: $5,000 a year, $25,000 total

  • Bronze: $3,000 a year, $15,000 total

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In addition, a partnership is in the works with United Regional Health Care System, Thomas said. URHCS has committed to $80,000 annually over five years for a total of $400,000.

“Any additional funds beyond the amount provided for the scoreboards would be put into a fund for future athletic projects that are needed," Thomas told the School Board.

WFISD has opportunities for additional sponsors, Thomas said later. Local businesses interested can reach out to her at athomas@wfisd.net for more information.

Athletic sponsors confirmed earlier in February include the following:

  • Gold: Rebecca Lammers Allstate, United Supermarkets and American National Bank & Trust

  • Silver: Bomer & Ketner Insurance, Kenneth Cluley State Farm Insurance, Nissan of Wichita Falls, Wichita Falls Teachers Federal Credit Union, Momentum Specialty Surgery Center and Hoover Rogers Law

  • Bronze: KFDX/Texoma's FOX and KAUZ

Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Read her recent work here. Her X handle is @Trishapedia.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Sponsorships help WFISD get new scoreboards at Memorial Stadium