Scoring a scorching deal on scoreboards

Ben Lukens doesn’t need to participate in Cedar Grove-Belgium High School athletics to score a winner.

The district’s buildings and grounds director pulled off a bargain that would make thrifters and “Let’s Make a Deal” co-host Wayne Brady bulge their eyes and drop their jaws.

The road to the high school’s new scoreboards started with a deal Lukens didn’t take.

“About a year and a half ago I received a price for some very basic scoreboards for the MAC (multipurpose activity center),” Lukens said.

“This space did not have scoreboards.  We do occasionally use this gym space for youth and varsity volleyball tournaments and an occasional basketball game.”

Then came the quote. It was more than $10,000.

“That was more than I thought we should spend for the little the MAC gets used, so I held off and kept my eyes open on Wisconsin Surplus,” Lukens said of a website that sells a variety of used municipal and school equipment.

Late last summer, Lukens discovered Appleton East High was selling a set of upgraded scoreboards, along with player boards.

Lukens liked the price and pulled the trigger. He didn’t even have to pay for equipment to pick them up and haul them.

“We borrowed an enclosed trailer and went up there to pick them up,” Lukens said.

Upon arrival back in Cedar Grove, Lukens and his team went to work.

“They were dark blue so we stripped them down in the shop and painted them.  Then we rented a lift and took down the scoreboards in the main court and moved those to the north court,” he said. “The ones in the north court went into the MAC, and the new ones you see today on the main court.”

The kicker is the price.

“I’d guess new, these scoreboards would be over $30,000. We paid $417.13,” Lukens said.

Customizing the scoreboards to the Rockets still didn’t bring the total to four figures.

“With a gallon of paint and lift rental, we did this all for under $1,000,” Lukens said.

“I think that’s really a testament to Ben and the work that he can do,” Business Manager Tera Rogers told the School Board last month. “We can have new things without spending a ton of money.”