LUMBERTON, Texas — The Lumberton school district has dropped a rental fee for taking photos inside on the district's newly renovated football field.
Billed as part of a way to protect the stadium and its renovations, the district implemented a $100 hourly rental fee for photography on the field and limited available times to three days.
Parents revolted against the new rules and one of them, Jarrod Meehan, started a petition on Saturday, August 3, 2024, to have the rules changed. In its first hour about 500 signed the online petition with a total of more than 650.
Three days later, petition organizer Jarrod Meehan hand changed the status of the petition to "victory."
Lumberton Independent School District parents received a message from the school that included a change dropping the $100 rental fee from the policy.
When Meehan went to the stadium to take pictures with his daughter, who is a cheerleader, they were denied entry onto the field, he told 12News recently. His daughter and the rest of the cheer squad had to settle for taking their pictures in the parking lot of the school.
Taking senior pictures at Raider Stadium is a longstanding Lumberton tradition, according to Meehan, so he was disheartened when he saw the new photo policy put in place by the district.
The Lumberton community has always been a very giving one and routinely pays for much of their children's own gear in extracurricular activities and raise money for the school itself with fundraisers, Meehan says, so he doesn't see the point of the $100 fee. He worries that it could be especially hard on some with many people already struggling due to the current economy.
"As a parent and a local taxpayer who helped build the new stadium, I find it patently absurd that not only must I spend more money just to take a picture, I have to amend my schedule in order to do it," Meehan wrote on the petition website.
While the district remove the $100 fee there are still only three days available for photos.
Here's the message the district sent to parents...
"In order to protect the integrity of the newly renovated Raider Stadium and as a security precaution, it is closed to the public. The stadium is available for personal photography purposes on designated dates listed below. The district requires an LISD employee to be on site to open and close the stadium. There is no rental fee and no appointment is required for these dates."
Part of the petition called for more days and times to take photos but while the available days remain the same there are no longer any morning slots included.
The dates and times, according to the district are from 4 p.m. 8 p.m. on...
- August 24, 2024
- September 28, 2024
- October 26, 2024
More dates will be added in the spring after spring sports schedules are released, according to the district.
The news was shared with parents in an email from the superintendent that Mehan shared with 12News.
In the email the superintendent John Mathews noted that due to an approaching deadline for the booster sponsored football program the stadium will be open for photos on Wednesday, August 7, from 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
He also noted that some considerations may need to be made for student athletes who have said they'd like to have some extra workout time.
Although he wanted change, Meehan was adamant that people remain respectful to the Lumberton staff, board, and superintendent throughout the process.
"I encourage people to engage and not sit on the sidelines, and that people engage respectfully," Meehan said, "Nothing is ever achieved with animosity."
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
