High-tech high school

Hart Public Schools Tech Team, left to right, Intern Revin Gale, Director Jason Gale and Assistant Phil DeBrot.

Pirate News is a presentation of Hart Public Schools in partnership with Oceana County Press. 

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor 

HART — When Hart High School students return to classes Sept. 3, they will be amazed by a massive 8.5-by-16 foot LED wall in the gym.

In addition to the huge one on the east side of the gym, there is a smaller 5-by-8 foot LED wall on the other side of the gym. 

Not only do these dazzling high-tech screens replace the scoreboards, they will be used in many other ways to not only enhance athletic events, but also academics.

The large “home scoreboard.”

The old scoreboards are being repurposed in the Hart Middle School gym and the high school’s auxiliary gym, said Hart Public Schools Technology Director Jason Gale. “The middle school needed a new scoreboard anyway, and that’s what kind of got the whole conversation going.”

The cost of the $37,000 equipment was offset by a generous $20,000 donation from Mac Wood’s Dune Rides in Silver Lake, said Gale. “It was a great contribution.” The remainder of the cost was funded through the district’s technology budget.

The LED walls are similar to ones you see at large concert venues. 

“At a basketball game, if a kid makes a 3-point shot, animation will come up on the screen. If they go up to the foul line, you’ll see the kid’s picture on the screen.” Eventually, there will be instant replay, too.

The smaller “away scoreboard.”

“It isn’t just a scoreboard, because we’re integrating this into the classroom.” The school launched its first media class last school year, and the LED walls will be key pieces of equipment for that high-tech course. Gale and Hart Public Schools Tech Assistant Phil DeBrot oversee the use of the studio’s modern equipment and provide their broadcast expertise.

“This is an extension of that. It isn’t successful unless we have kids creating content. That’s the exciting part of this.”

Games will not likely be broadcast on the screens unless a Pirate team goes to state competition, for instance — which has been happening quite often for the successful track and cross country squads. 

Gale’s son, Revin, is interning with the tech duo and helped get the system set up in the gym. “We’ve been working on this since February,” said Gale.

Tech Director Jason Gale and his son, Revin Gale, who is the tech intern, set up the LED wall.
– Contributed photo by Phil DeBrot

The new equipment replaces a “monstrosity of a projector screen” that was used previously for assemblies and other events, said DeBrot. The old equipment took an extensive amount of time to set up.

The new LED walls can be used for PowerPoint presentations, slide shows and team hype videos. It can also be utilized to keep score in gym class games, like dodgeball. 

During sporting events, the screens will display players’ photos and stats, said DeBrot. “Someone will have to do the work beforehand to gather the information,” he said of the media students. 

– Contributed photo by Phil DeBrot

The big screen is made up of 200 individual LED squares, and the smaller screen is comprised of 60 squares. If an errant ball should hit the screen hard during a game, damage would be contained to a single square, which can be easily replaced. However, the screens are extremely durable and are capable of “taking some shots,” said DeBrot.

Steve Clark from Paradise Contractors contributed labor to mount the screens. More trim work still needs to be done, and a canopy will be added. 

Eventually, the media students will film commercials of their sponsors, and the commercials will be aired on the LED screens during game breaks, said DeBrot. 

A fan app will be ultimately be available for parents to install on their cell phones. “It will show the score on their phone in real time,” said Gale. “If it’s on the scoreboard here, they can pull it up on their phone.

“It’s just a matter of time before you see more of these in the schools,” said Gale. “It’s the wave of the future. We’re excited for the kids.”

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