The athletic marketing agreement will provide $3.5 million in professional sports personnel, 10 academic scholarships, $150,000 in program and sports infrastructure funding in exchange for marketing opportunities in Southwest Ohio’s largest suburban school district.
“Strong community partnerships are a difference-maker in our ability to provide a premiere educational experience to our students,” said Lakota’s Acting Superintendent Robb Vogelmann.
Lakota’s partnership with the private healthcare providers is the latest example in the last decade that has seen Butler and Warren County public school systems exchange marketing signage - and other promotional opportunities in and around school athletics - in trade for sports funding, access to professional sports personnel and, in some cases, new or renovated athletic facilities.
Chris Passarge, chief operating officer for the 16,500-student district, praised the school system’s previous healthcare provider partner – Atrium Medical Center – for years of financing athletic facility improvements at Lakota’s two high schools, including the installation of artificial turf at two stadiums.
The new agreement with Beacon and Christ Hospital will provide six full-time athletic trainers – three at Lakota East High School and its feeder schools and the same for Lakota West High School and its affiliated schools.
The district also receives a full-time strength and conditioning coach who will be shared between East and West; 10 academic scholarships of $1,000 each for the high schools; $10,000 for the high schools’ “Volley For The Cure” and other fund raising events; health and wellness guidance and support for students and staff, and student internship opportunities at the two healthcare providers.
It’s the latest in a series of moves Lakota officials have undertaken to reverse declining student participation rates in some of its sports in recent years.
In September Lakota cut its sports and other extracurricular fees for grades 7-12 in half, effective for students participating in winter and spring session activities. Also reduced by 50 percent was the family cap for such fees.
District savings via bond refinancing and reductions in health-care costs have allowed Lakota to absorb the anticipated $750,000 annual cost to its $152 million annual operating budget.
The new partnership also benefits participating companies, said Beacon’s Chief Executive Officer Andy Blankemeyer, because its impact goes beyond school athletes to other students and school staffers.
“In our new partnership with Lakota we want to serve more than just student-athletes. This internship program is the first step in our commitment to provide high quality educational services to the district,” said Blankemyer. “We are excited about this first step and look forward to adding new opportunities for students along with our partners at Christ Hospital.”
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