Video scoreboards, a new Bobcat and the start of the new school year were among the topics of conversation during Monday’s meeting of the Waterloo School Board.

Waterloo Athletic Director Brian Unger spoke at length about the district’s plans to get outdoor and indoor video scoreboards for the high school.

The total cost of the project would be about $220,000. Unger said 74 percent of that has already been secured via pledges from donors and businesses.

The boards would, along with displaying scores throughout the game, also be capable of playing advertisements from local businesses and other content.

Unger voiced his support of the new boards not just because of the visuals they would be used for when highlighting players, but also because of the opportunities they would afford other students.

He noted some colleges are now looking for students capable of working such boards.

Unger, along with Waterloo Superintendent of Schools Brian Charron, emphasized the chance this would give students with an interest in media production to show off their skills to the school and their peers.

“Will it help our athletes and be neat for them? Yes,” Unger said. “But it’s also going to give that kid a chance who maybe can’t catch or shoot a ball or whatever to make that video and have our kids walk down the hall and go ‘Man, you did that? That’s awesome.’”

Unger and Charron added that, given the opportunities these boards might provide, a media production club that later develops into a media production class might be on the table should the video scoreboard project go through in the future.

Also on the agenda was the issue of securing a new Bobcat machine with attachments for use in the school district for moving snow and truck deliveries to the high school.

According to Director of Building and Grounds Will Hulett, the current Bobcat is from 1983. Charron said it is no longer worth the cost to repair.

A replacement for the machine has not currently been put up for bid as the school district’s contract with the government organization Sourcewell has currently narrowed the offers down to a possible deal with the Bobcat supplier in Fairview Heights.

The deal currently stands at $54,000 for what Hulett described as a “plain-Jane” machine.

A possible deal with John Deere was entertained by the board, though it was unclear if the district would be able to get a comparable machine.

The issue was ultimately tabled for a future meeting following further research into potential deals.

Charron also discussed current plans for renovations at Zahnow Elementary to help accommodate the growing school’s needs.

Charron expressed his interest and positivity about the current architect plans to make the best use out of existing space for the foreseeable future.

“It’s exciting to me that we have an option to maybe do Zahnow in phases also,” Charron said.

District building administration each spoke positively about their first days of the new school year, including new Gardner Elementary Principal Angie Huels, who said she’s feeling welcome to the district.