March 29, 2024

NCSD board to consider advertising proposal

3-year deal would bring $3,500 per year for district

Football fans climbing the steps at H.A. Lynn Stadium this fall in search of the best seats in the house will notice something different about the home of the Cardinals this season — new advertising on the steps of the bleachers.

The promotions are part of a $3,500 per year ad buy from Clemon-Maki Insurance in Newton and is one of several issues board members will consider during their regularly scheduled meeting Monday night.

The agreement, slated to run from the 2018-19 school year until the end of the 2020-21 school year, will generate $3,500 in advertising revenue for the district each. Newton Community School District Superintendent Bob Callaghan said the amount represents one of the largest ad buys for the athletic department, whose annual advertising revenue is typically less than $10,000 per year. Callaghan said the money is typically earmarked for the department who generates the revenue.

“It goes into the general fund,” Callaghan said. “It doesn’t have to, but we tend to dedicate it to the department that raises the funds.”

Darin Eide, one of three co-owners at Clemon-Maki Insurance, said the advertising dollars are a good way for the agency to get their name out into the community while supporting the local school district. Since taking over the business in 2017, Eide and his partners have been on the lookout for ways to use their advertising budget to benefit the local community.

“In a nutshell, the biggest reason why we want to do stuff like this, all three owners live here, our kids go to school here and we want to benefit the community we live. That’s what it boils down to,” Eide said during a phone interview Thursday afternoon.

Instead of relying on newspaper or radio ads, Eide said the partners at Clemon-Maki are focused on putting the money back into the community. This isn’t the first time the agency has worked with the Newton School District, the business advertised during games last year, and also offered scholarships and helped start a food pantry. For Eide, the goal is to make sure the money helps everyone in the community.

“What we looked at is the way we do our marketing dollars, instead of just spending the marketing dollars to radio, newspaper, whatever it may be, we wanted to find something that benefited both parties,” Eide said.

Eide said the ads he’s been discussing with NCSD Athletic Director Ryan Rump will be “unique and different” from more traditional advertising. During home basketball games for the Cardinals, each corner of the court will feature an advertisement for Clemon-Maki. At H.A. Lynn Stadium Eide and Rump have been working together on a plan to place advertisements on the bleacher steps.

“Really, what we’re looking forward to is not only doing something we’re able to partner with the school,” Eide said. “But we’re able to do something that’s a little more unique and different.”

In other business, the board will also set the date of Oct. 4 to hold a public hearing on the proposed softball concession stand and restroom facility. The hearing, set to begin at 6:45 p.m. at the E.J.H. Administration Building, will be an opportunity for the public to weigh in on the proposed facility before bids are awarded on the project.

The board will also undergo a reorganization on Monday night, with the election of a new President and Vice President. Currently, those positions are filled by board members Travis Padget and Ann Leonard.

Contact David Dolmage at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or ddolmage@newtondailynews.com