A school district in Schuylkill County has found a rather unusual way to net $100,000. The North Schuylkill School District has sold the naming rights to its football stadium.
With the dropping of a veil, the North Schuylkill School District's stadium officially became the Ghosh Orthodontics Field at Spartan Stadium.
The district has a 10-year deal with Dr. Sam Ghosh, a local orthodontist, offering him naming rights to the field in exchange for $100,000. In this deal, the district will receive $10,000 each year.
The money will eventually go to future field renovations.
"The community has given a lot to us and so this was a way for me to give back and I felt that this might set some kind of a trend," said Dr. Ghosh. "I think other schools will see this and consider doing the same thing."
The deal began in March, while renovations were going on at the football field.
Superintendent Andrew Smarkanic said it was during that work the district realized that in another 10 years the field would need to be renovated again at a cost of $100,000. He felt selling the naming rights would be a way to make sure the funds were in place.
"Cuts in federal funding, Race to The Top, Pennsylvania did not get that," said Dr. Smarkanic, referring the $4 billion federal program that provides money to states for education. "State funding is being cut. School districts are going to look for every avenue. This is an opportunity to us to save our taxpayers money."
The student athletes who will use the field understand the meaning of this deal. The former field was constantly flooded out due to a poor drainage system.
"It was like a sheet of ice, especially there was one part down there that didn't have any grass," said senior Ed Pavalko, who plays football for the Spartans. "We couldn't even play our district games at home."
"Everybody knows what we went through last year, with rain storms and mud, but those days are long behind us now," said Spartans Athletic Director Jim Gross.
Now the field has a new drainage system, new sod and a brand new track.
It is definitely a source of pride for both the students and community here at North Schuylkill.
"All the improvements that have taken place this year is something big for us," said parent Kelly Laudemann, whose sons plays for the Spartans. "And this being their senior year, they're really looking into something big this year."
With the dropping of a veil, the North Schuylkill School District's stadium officially became the Ghosh Orthodontics Field at Spartan Stadium.
The district has a 10-year deal with Dr. Sam Ghosh, a local orthodontist, offering him naming rights to the field in exchange for $100,000. In this deal, the district will receive $10,000 each year.
The money will eventually go to future field renovations.
"The community has given a lot to us and so this was a way for me to give back and I felt that this might set some kind of a trend," said Dr. Ghosh. "I think other schools will see this and consider doing the same thing."
The deal began in March, while renovations were going on at the football field.
Superintendent Andrew Smarkanic said it was during that work the district realized that in another 10 years the field would need to be renovated again at a cost of $100,000. He felt selling the naming rights would be a way to make sure the funds were in place.
"Cuts in federal funding, Race to The Top, Pennsylvania did not get that," said Dr. Smarkanic, referring the $4 billion federal program that provides money to states for education. "State funding is being cut. School districts are going to look for every avenue. This is an opportunity to us to save our taxpayers money."
The student athletes who will use the field understand the meaning of this deal. The former field was constantly flooded out due to a poor drainage system.
"It was like a sheet of ice, especially there was one part down there that didn't have any grass," said senior Ed Pavalko, who plays football for the Spartans. "We couldn't even play our district games at home."
"Everybody knows what we went through last year, with rain storms and mud, but those days are long behind us now," said Spartans Athletic Director Jim Gross.
Now the field has a new drainage system, new sod and a brand new track.
It is definitely a source of pride for both the students and community here at North Schuylkill.
"All the improvements that have taken place this year is something big for us," said parent Kelly Laudemann, whose sons plays for the Spartans. "And this being their senior year, they're really looking into something big this year."
