Springdale Public Schools is a district of 31 schools in northwest Arkansas, with two high school campuses that are deeply invested in athletics. Their scoreboards had not been replaced in 20 years.
Arkansas is in the middle of a school choice shift, and facilities have become part of the decision for families. Dr. Cleveland saw it clearly: there is a facilities arms race underway, and Springdale’s aging infrastructure was not keeping pace. The district decided it was time to reinvent, and if they were going to do it, they were going to do it right. They invited approximately nine scoreboard companies to present. Most sold a product. Digital Scoreboards brought a model.
Nine Schools. One Clear Choice.
Dr. Cleveland’s mandate was straightforward: find a way to fund a school scoreboard upgrade without asking local taxpayers to pay more. Digital Scoreboards addressed that directly. The district spoke with nine other schools that worked with Digital Scoreboards, verified the model, and Dr. Cleveland got on the phone with Chris Kirn, President and CEO of Digital Scoreboards, who brought a way to pay for the installation and generate income over time. For Donald Tucker, former Athletic Foundation Director at Springdale, the moment stood out: they realized they were not buying a product, they were partnering with someone invested in their success.
What Was Built
Digital Scoreboards installed LED video scoreboards across both Springdale High School and Har-Ber High School, covering every major athletic venue on both campuses with a multi-sport capable system.
Springdale High School: Four 20ft ribbon displays at each corner for full court sight lines.
Har-Ber High School: A V-hung display in the basketball arena with two 40ft x 4ft ribbon displays on each end of the court.
Both campuses: New video boards at baseball and softball fields. Football stadiums equipped with 52ft x 29ft video screens.
School Scoreboard Revenue: $500,000 a Year
The model Digital Scoreboards brought to Springdale was built around scoreboard advertising revenue. Local businesses advertise on the school’s LED displays during games and events. That revenue covers the cost of the installation over time, then generates net income for the district. For Springdale, once the investment was recovered, the district moved into generating $500,000 a year, without a bond measure, a booster campaign, or a tax increase.
Five Emmys. Two Years. The CTE Outcome Nobody Expected.
What Springdale did not fully anticipate was what would happen in the classroom. The district built its Career and Technical Education (CTE) digital media program around the scoreboards. Students learned live streaming, broadcast operations, and video production. Within two years, the program produced results that went well beyond the building.
The Full Picture
Springdale started with aging scoreboards and a facilities problem. They ended with the largest football boards in Arkansas, a $500,000 annual revenue stream, five student Emmy wins, and a curriculum pipeline that media companies are actively recruiting from.
Hear it directly from the people who made it happen.