Wylie High School upgrades marquee

Motorists traveling on FM 544 may give a double-take when passing Wylie High School these days.  At first glance they may stare in disbelief at the 100 plus degrees temperature scrolling across the school’s marquee in big, red letters.   With the second look, it may hit them that they can actually read the marquee without braking or reaching for their reading glasses.

Earlier this summer, Wylie High School replaced its old, single-message board with an electronic marquee.  It is now capable of displaying three lines of scrolling, nine inch text in bright, easy-on-the-eyes neon red. 

“The new marquee is very visible from quite a distance and enables us to share numerous pieces of information in a looping fashion,” said Principal Gary Brown.  “On days when multiple events are occurring on our campus, the sign gives us a more effective and expedient way to communicate with our students, parents and community members.”

The marquee was not purchased with tax payers’ money.  It has been planned for several years, and the high school has been setting aside some funds it collects from various campus activities including parking permits, student badges, vending machines and cell phone fines.  The high school staff also researched and designed the new marquee so that it could be installed at minimal cost. 

“We were able to utilize the existing brick structure and had the sign manufactured to fit the exact specifications of the old marquee,” said Mr. Brown.  “We also chose a basic electronic display system without color or advanced graphics.” 

A RF transmitter connected to a desktop pc controls messaging and specific software loaded into the computer manages the display.  The marquee can be updated instantaneously, providing news on activities and events in real time.