New scoreboard installed at Niwot High School

Funded by St. Vrain Valley School District, a new digital scoreboard has been installed as the next step in the master plan for Niwot High School. The scoreboard was named in memory of Art Stapp, who passed away in 2023 and was a strong sponsor of Niwot High School and its programs. The field has been named the Art Stapp Sports Complex.

"We have a world class school in so many ways," said principal Eric Rauschkolb, "and we love that we can bring our facilities up to date to reflect our students' excellence and success."

Over the past several years, major projects have taken place to improve the facilities at Niwot High School, both inside the building as well as to the exterior areas of the campus. Such projects include completely remodeling the commons area in the cafeteria to a brighter, more open communal set of stairs for learning and easier traffic. The front facade as well as other entrances have been upgraded with new structure and lit signage.

More recently and probably more noticeably, the football field to the southeast of the building has undergone major improvements. In 2020 the school installed new stadium lights, then two years later added a brand new turf field with an exterior fence. Those improvements allowed NHS to host its first-ever home football game at Niwot in 2022 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the school during homecoming. All these projects were funded through the voter-approved St. Vrain Valley School District bond measure.

NHS considered the impact these improvements would have on Niwot. Joe Brown, athletic director and assistant principal at NHS, said, "When we installed the lights, we made sure to get the lowest light strength we could as well as very intentional directional aim."

The installation of the new scoreboard on the south side of the field helps aim the light source and sound system away from houses and toward the school. If the scoreboard had been installed closer to the school, the bright light and sound would travel further towards homes, he explained.

Benefits of this scoreboard and the field are not just limited to football, however. Since the installation of the lights as well as the turf field, soccer games and marching band rehearsals have been more engaging and exciting for students during evening time slots. In addition, Niwot Youth Sports teams use the field on Sundays.

The new scoreboard will not only display the score, but it can also display player profiles, run advertisements, and, during graduation, stream a live feed for easier viewing for families. "The possibilities are endless," said Brown. He also mentioned that during Senior Night for the class of 2023, the auditorium was overflowing so, weather permitting, the event could be held outdoors in 2024.

This new project also provides great learning opportunities for students. Rauschkolb and Brown both expressed excitement as there is a plan to involve students in the operation of the scoreboard, which will provide students graphic design opportunities, and audio and video marketable skills.

The hope is to also engage the community more through these upgrades so that eventually many Niwot residents will attend NHS games and cheer on the Cougars regularly. Movies may eventually be shown on the scoreboard which would also be a welcome community experience.

The next big step is to install stadium seating into the hill on the west side, so as to not obstruct the view and provide easier seating methods for sports and graduation as well. No timetable has been set yet for that project.