Resolution Supporting Local Control of Athletic Post-Season
UIL Event Broadcasting
Whereas the [District Name] Independent School District Board of Trustees ("the Board") has the exclusive power and duty to govern and oversee the management of the public schools in [District Name] ISD ("the District") pursuant to Texas Education Code Section 11.151;
Whereas the Board is responsible for seeking to establish working relationships with other public entities to make effective use of community resources and to serve the needs of public school students in the community;
Whereas the Texas University Interscholastic League ("UIL") exists to provide educational extracurricular academic, athletic, and music contests to encourage young people to enrich their education, expand their horizons, and prepare them for a more useful and wholesome life;
Whereas the Board agrees with the philosophy of the UIL and supports District student participation in UIL extracurricular activities;
Whereas video and/or audio broadcast of athletic and fine arts events has been demonstrated to be an accessible way for the community to engage with the District and student participants when unable to attend an event in person;
Whereas the District owns any work or work product created by a District employee in the course and scope of District employment, including the right to obtain copyrights, and the District owns the broadcast rights for audio/video work created by District personnel or contracted partners;
Whereas the District often contracts with third party vendors to broadcast District audio/video under different revenue models, including free ad-supported content or viewer-pay content (among others) to offset the cost of the District's production of such audio/video;
Whereas as a condition of UIL membership, member districts must agree to allow UIL the right of first refusal regarding audio/video broadcast rights for post-season events;
Whereas the UIL and its agent charge community and family members a fee to access the post-season events;
Whereas the District has the ability to broadcast its UIL post-season events independent of the UIL, but is prohibited from doing so by the current UIL Constitution, thereby limiting the District's ability to share student achievement to its community free of charge;
Therefore, be it resolved by the Board that the [District Name] Independent School District asserts primary responsibility for broadcast rights to the work product of its students participating in athletic and fine arts events; and
Further resolved that the District supports amending the UIL Constitution to provide member school districts the option to choose whether to participate in the UIL's post-season broadcasting agreement; and
Further resolved that the District supports a model allowing viewers to access broadcasts of the District's athletic and fine arts events without a paywall; and
Further resolved that the District directs the Superintendent and/or designee to pursue these goals through all available means while always protecting the District's interests and maintaining the District's support for UIL.
Approved this [day] day of [month], [year].