It was close, but the proper decision was made Monday night.

The Butler School Board determined by a 5-4 vote not to sell naming rights to the high school football stadium as a means of securing additional revenues for the district.

Butler’s stadium already has a name. Only a few years ago, it was dubbed Art Bernardi Stadium in recognition of that legendary coach’s achievements in this town.

To take that name off the stadium and replace it with a corporate name would be a travesty, no matter how many thousands of dollars such a move might bring in.

Yes, in this day and age, it’s hard to believe, but some things in this world really are more important than money.

Honor. Integrity. Respect. Pride. The school district would have taken a hit in all of those areas had it taken Bernardi’s name off that stadium.

Precedent has been set in Butler County for corporate names on high school facilities. Seneca Valley has NexTier Stadium, Karns City has Diehl Stadium.

But in both cases, the stadiums had no prior name before those rights were sold for plenty of dollars.

On a much larger scale, the Green Bay Packers would not think of renaming Lambeau Field. There’s history there that can’t be tampered with.

Granted, when new stadiums pop up at the pro level in virtually any sport, naming rights are sold. Forbes Field, Ebbets Field, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, etc., all things of the past.

There’s no disputing the Butler Area School District — as do many others — need to come up with new revenue streams. And none of us wants our taxes raised.

The closing and consolidation of elementary schools is something no one wants to see, either, though that remains a possible consequence of the budget crunch faced by education today,

There could be more creative ways to go about attacking this dilemma.

While Butler’s football stadium has a name, its press-box carries no moniker. That booth is big enough that some company’s name strewn across the top of it would be quite noticeable to a lot of people.

The naming rights of the gym could be sold. The wrestling mat could be sponsored by somebody. Butler’s baseball field has no name right now, either.

The tennis courts, softball and soccer fields? All fair game.

Some of those suggestions may seem silly, but they are viable. Many area businesses look for public ways of showing support for local education and sports venues are a natural in that sense.

You just shouldn’t change a name that’s already there.

We all should be supporting our school districts. We all should be concerned about their financial situations.

But leave Art Bernardi Stadium alone.

What’s done is done.

Revenue is needed. I get that.

Just look somewhere else.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle