ROCHESTER — Generating just under $300,000 in the 2023-24 school year with user fees, fundraising and ticket sales, the Old Rochester Regional High School Athletic Department was only making enough money to cover basic operating expenses.

However, Old Rochester Regional High School is now expanding their previously established advertising initiative to fund their growing athletic program and combat dwindling funds.

“It’s a policy that has been in existence through the school for a number of years and we’re leveraging it now to try and set aside funding to do campus improvements that improve our student athlete experience,” said Old Rochester Athletic Director Chris Carrig.

The expanded advertising allows for corporate businesses to pay set fees to have their companies showcased throughout school grounds on windscreen ads.

“I think this is a great opportunity for our local business partners to help continue to support our athletic program and give them an opportunity for us to be able to promote the great work that they do as local business owners,” said Old Rochester Regional School District Superintendent Michael Nelson.

Carrig states that the success of the Old Rochester Regional athletics department contributes to the increasing costs of the program, with their “gyms always open” and “fields are always in use.”

“There’s more use of our athletic facility than — I would put it against — any other facility in the area, because we do have really competitive and successful programs,” said Carrig.

“The wear and tear is accelerated, and we need an avenue to keep up with the improvements in repairs and maintenance on some of those things,” explained Carrig. “It’s not an easy thing to keep up with so we have to be creative with how we find ways to bring revenue in to stay on top of that.”

Although there are no definitive spending plans set in place for the ad revenue, the athletic department intends to use the money for impending repairs, renovation, equipment and apparel.

Advertisements will be placed throughout the school grounds in locations deemed not disruptive to education, with some ads already mounted on fencing by the tennis courts.

Rates start at $300 for artwork, sign production and posting with fees of $700 to post the advertisement for six months and $1000 to post for 12 months. The signs are approximately 4 feet by 8 feet and are made of material that is “expected to last for years.”

Going forward, the district plans to implement digital opportunities as well.

“The athletic program policy allows us to put advertisement displays in areas that we don’t believe would impact educational programming,” said Superintendent Michael Nelson. “For example, they wouldn’t be in our classrooms or necessarily in our hallways in our schools.”

Carrig emphasizes the importance of the athletic department to the school, stating that 75% of students at Old Rochester Regional High School participate in sports.

“There’s no greater teacher than the instant feedback you get on a field, a court, a track. It’s a really effective teaching tool for a lot of different types of lessons,” said Carrig. “The sheer number and the volume of students who involve themselves on our teams is important to take care of.”

For more information regarding advertising at Old Rochester Regional High School, contact the athletic department by calling 508-758-3745 or emailing chriscarrig@oldrochester.org.