BEAUMONT, Texas — The naming rights of a Beaumont Independent School district facility and how a sponsor will be chosen were hot topics at a Monday school board meeting.
Beaumont ISD officials held a meeting to discuss the naming rights of several facilities in the district. One of the facilities discussed was the Beaumont ISD Memorial Stadium.
The stadium’s name was changed from the Carroll ‘Butch’ Thomas Stadium to its current one in 2018. Thomas was BISD’s first Black superintendent.
The name change came after a forensic audit revealed Thomas and his administration mismanaged a $389 million bond in 2007 that funded the stadium.
The subject was brought up again in 2020. Several members of the school board wanted to bring the stadium’s original name back. It was ultimately rejected, and the current name stuck.
In January of 2022, the board once again discussed changing the stadium's name. That time it was approved with a 4-2 vote but was later rescinded. Officials decided to consider selling the naming rights.
On Monday, the saga continued. At the meeting, district officials discussed the potential criteria the board will use when deciding on a potential sponsor.
Board members are hoping for a minimum of $1 million with the new deal, and they said they are eager to get a deal done.
“This issue probably ranks up there about as high as you can go. I wish it wasn’t,” Robert Dunn, board president, said.
Board members looked at other districts to see how they acquired their sponsorship deals.
“We looked at other different districts across the state of Texas and what they have for their naming rights,” Dunn said.
Members talked about what they would like to see included in their set of criteria for a business looking to buy in.
“On this last one where you have bullet point number four where it says minority, military owned,” Stacey Lewis, Jr., district two trustee, said. “I would ask that we add veteran owned as well."
District officials plan to discuss sponsorship rights for other specific parts of the stadium. Dunn said he hopes a deal will be reached soon, and students are kept at the forefront.
"As long as its about the students, and the money is used for the students, and everything that this board does is about the students, I think that's what's most important." Dunn said
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