Digital Marquee Signs for Schools

Electronic LED Marquee Signs for Schools Increase Engagement, Enrollment, Student Pathways, Revenue and Community Safety

The U.S. national increase in digital, LED school marquee signage is expected to be about 11% annually, at least through 2030. Schools are increasingly seeing that dynamic, programmable, public-facing content is pivotal for desired growth of enrollment, ticket sales, revenue and community safety.

A new digital LED marquee for Acton-Boxborough High School, designed and installed by Scoreboard Enterprises with Daktronics hardware and software.

Software-driven school marquees are now the virtual front door to an ever-expanding and integrated network of campus-wide (and community-wide) messaging. Schools and school boards are seeing past the installation costs with the appeal of immediate and long-term increases in enrollment, advertising revenue, community safety, and even student-pathway opportunities for hands-on digital content creation and management. The sooner they install their public-facing marquee, the sooner a school can continuously expand benefits.

Many initial benefits of LED marquees are traditional and known, but the returns of greatest value may be less obvious.

LED Marquee Signs Boost School and Community Engagement

The first, broadest and more historical appeal of a digital school marquee is increased awareness and engagement with timely call-to-action for events. When students, parents, communites and administrators become more inter-connected through timely messaging, increased attendance (at events, enrollment, activities ...) makes the school a center of bringing people together.

• Sharing timely information: Schools can quickly update messages about upcoming events to maximize attendance and ticket sales.
  

• Highlighting achievements: Celebrating student, staff and alumni accomplishments will motivate students and boost school spirit.
  

• Representing and encouraging positive values: Positive, motivational messaging is more than something nice to say; it reflects school values and attracts like-minded, positive engagement.

Generating Revenue and Expanded Value with Vibrant, Programmable Marquee Signs and Programmable Content Software

Beyond ticket sales, LED marquee signs can help schools generate new, non-traditional revenue, value and student opportunities:

• Advertising local businesses: Schools can offer ad space on their signs to community businesses, creating a new income stream and further connecting with the community, especially former students and parents with local businesses. Signage advertising is often a first step toward larger sponsorships.
  

• Promoting fundraising events: Community organizations quickly learn about the availability of the school marquee as a center for community engagement, i.e., to promote bake sales, auctions, events and donations.
  

• Highlighting sponsorships: Recognizing sponsors on the marquee encourages ongoing support and partnerships.
  

• Original and programmable content: It's easy to accommodate advertisers and their marketing resources with virtually any type of digital content, and to program continuous content, such as weekly and monthly specials.
  

• Increasing student enrollment and 'pathways' with technology experience: Dactronics' DakClassroom program is a leading initiative for creating student pathways in digital messaging and event management, especially when integrating scoreboards, campus-wide LED and marquees through the same cloud-based software. See the Scoreboard Enterprises blog on the topic.

  
  

Once a school marquee is first used for advertising, promotional messaging and student pathways, the demand (and revenue) grows organically.

Enhancing Community Safety with Real-Time Alerts

As safety is a top and shared priority for schools, communities and local/regional/national public safety organizations, LED marquees become essential for life-saving awareness. Daktronics, is a national hardware and software leader for integrating messaging across private and public content networks, enabling instant messaging that can truly save lives.

• Displaying emergency alerts: In case of weather warnings, lockdowns, or other urgent situations, signs provide immediate, visible updates.
  

• Cloud-based software integrations with public safety: Connect with local public safety organizations and FEMA’s emergency alert infrastructure to automatically broadcast emergency alerts (AMBER Alerts, severe weather, etc.) and general public-safety messages.
  

• IPAWS integration: Using Daktronics' Venus® Control Suite or Vanguard software, marquee displays can automatically pull emergency alerts and messages straight from federal databases.
  

• Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) integration: Daktronics' messaging software is MUTCD-compliant, ensuring traffic symbols and safety warnings are recognizable and quickly understood by drivers.
  

• Guiding visitors: Clear directions for drop-off, pick-up, or parking reduce confusion and improve traffic flow.
  

• Promoting safety reminders: Regular messages about speed limits, visitor check-in procedures, or health protocols will reinforce community safety.

  
  

Choosing, Funding and Installing the Right LED Marquee Sign for a School

If the school or school system has no previous experience with LED marquee displays, they can work with the most established LED sign and software companies to not only design and program their new asset, but also find sources of funding and sponsorship.

• Funding a Quality LED Marquee for a School: If a school perceives a digital, LED marquee to be cost-prohibitive, they can quickly find funding, sponsorship and revenue expertise through such industry leaders as Daktronics and Scoreboard Enterprises Inc.
  

• Size, design and visibility: The sign should be large enough for its content to be seen and legible from a distance (i.e, across the street), and designed to reflect the school’s style and values.
  

Scoreboard Enterprises Inc. has been the New England supplier and designer/installer for Daktronics scoreboards, LED signage, marquees and software for nearly 50 years. We are proud and eager to assist schools in their search for LED marquees, campus-wide programmable content, and even funding/sponsorship opportunities to fully or partially offset installation costs. After installation, you'll find Scoreboard Enterprises to excel in service and support, and you'll find Daktronics to be the #1 choice for continuously improved software and parts. CONTACT US any time, and we look forward to hearing what you need.