BOURBONNAIS — A purchase of a new indoor LED video display scoreboard to be installed in the Bourbonnais Upper Grade Center gymnasium was approved by the school board.

The scoreboard will come from Varsity Scoreboards, based in Kentucky, for a cost of about $60,000. Advertising agreements for the scoreboard are being sought to lower the cost of the purchase.

The Bourbonnais Elementary School Board approved the purchase on Tuesday.

It is slated to be installed this summer and be ready for the start of the 2023-24 school year.

Andy Burton, Bourbonnais Elementary School District 53’s dean of students and athletic director, said the district hosted a business luncheon where it was able to sell two permanent advertising spots for $7,500 each to local businesses.

The district is still looking to sell other permanent advertising spots around the borders of the scoreboard.

It is exploring possibilities for yearly sponsorships as well in which companies could sponsor different events and have their ads displayed, he said.

“Our options are kind of endless when it comes to this,” Burton said.

The athletic department will cover $10,000 of the cost for the scoreboard with income from renting out the district’s athletic facilities, he said.

The district will pay for the remaining $35,000, though Burton said he expects the athletic department will be able to pay that money back in less than two years.

The athletic department’s main source of revenue is its facilities rental program, and the scoreboard will provide an additional source, he said.

After the cost of the scoreboard is earned, additional advertising revenue will be used to fund future projects, he said.

“Once it’s paid off, it’s all green,” Burton said.

In addition to being used to keep score during athletic games, the board could also be used to host movie nights in the gym or during graduation ceremonies, he said.