By Mary Brienza, Staff Writer
The Board of Education discussed a proposed policy to sell advertising on school property in an effort to raise money for the district at the May 16 meeting.
This was one of the items discussed earlier in the year during budget meetings by the Citizen’s Advisory Budget Committee to help limit increasing the property tax levy paid by residents to support the schools, according to board members.
”Policy is broad, general language to govern a particular topic,” schools Superintendent Gary McCartney said during the meeting. “In this instance we’re creating a policy with the expectation that it will deal with issues related to advertising on our facilities.”
The state government has given permission for schools to start advertising to raise money, according to Dr. McCartney.
”Most recently the (state) legislature has given legislative permission for schools as a means of generating income to use advertising by endorsing it on school vehicles and the like,” Dr. McCartney said.
The goal of the district is to sell advertising on school property to maximize revenues and still be in the confines of good taste, he said.
The proposed policy would set up a process for companies to get permission to advertise in an orderly fashion, and will give a general idea of what is permissible, he said.
The board would like to set up bid specs and procedure for setting up the ads, he said.
”(The ads will) raise substantial revenues,” Dr. McCartney said.
Board member and chair of the policy committee, Arthur Robinson, said that ads will help generate funds in the current tough economic situation since the amount of state and federal school aid is shrinking.
Mr. Robinson said that this policy is one way of generating revenue for the district.
He said the policy was up for voting now because someone contacted the district to advertise on school property since the budget meetings earlier this year.
The policy will have two readings before final adoption, he said.
A separate policy for school organizations to sell ads as a way to generate money that will not interfere with the ads sold by the district, according to school officials.
”There will have to be proportionality on how it’s all done,” Dr. McCartney said.
According to Policy 6163, the signs cannot advertise: any alcohol, tobacco or drug related product or stores, drug companies, anything promoting adult content, political organizations or causes, anything promoting illegal gambling, anything promoting firearms, religious organizations sponsoring its denomination, anything involving harassment or discrimination, and anything not age appropriate.
The final vote on the policy will be on June 6, according to School Business Administrator Anthony Tonzini.

