September 12, 2009

Area schools may soon sell naming rights

By LINDA TRIMBLE
Education Writer

DELAND -- Football uniforms with a manufacturer's logo just like the Nike insignia Florida Gator star quarterback Tim Tebow wears.

A computer lab named for a bank that forks over big money to pay for upgraded equipment.

A high school theater named for a patron of the arts.

Any of those -- and more -- could be coming to Volusia County schools under an advertising and naming rights agreement the School Board will consider Tuesday.

It would give School Partnerships, a company founded last spring by longtime Volusia school supporter Nancy Holman, exclusive rights to sell naming rights for school facilities and advertising to appear on district property, uniforms, Web sites or printed materials.

"The idea is for a person to go out and solicit those opportunities that would bring in some significant dollars to the general fund for student activities and educational programs," said Superintendent Margaret Smith, who is recommending the board approve the agreement Tuesday.

"Everything would still be under our control. We could say no to a company, firm or vendor we thought would be inappropriate for an educational setting," she said.

The Volusia proposal is part of a growing trend around the nation as school districts struggle financially in the weak economy. Orange County schools, for example, hired a sales and marketing manager in July who will do much the same job as Holman would under the local contract.

"There was a wake-up call during the last budget cycle that we should look for supplemental sources of income wherever possible," said Dylan Thomas, public relations director for that Orlando-based school district. "It's a new field to plow."

But not everyone is a fan of allowing advertising in schools.

"Children are exposed to so much advertising these days. . . . They need a space where they can learn without exposure to this stuff," said Josh Golin, associate director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood in Boston.

"Parents are getting increasingly concerned about advertising," he said in a telephone interview. "When you have it in schools, you can't turn the channel. It's compulsory. That's why advertisers like to be in schools so much because they get a captive audience."

Volusia County School Board members, who still are studying details of the proposal, said they understand concerns about advertising on campus but most are leaning toward giving it a try.

"We do have to look at alternatives about how we're going to fund programs in our district," Chairwoman Diane Smith said.

"I'm hoping we can use this as a stepping stone to get sports back in middle schools and keep sports going," board member Al Williams said. "Advertisement is all around us. If you don't misuse it or abuse it, it's not a bad thing."

Holman, an Ormond Beach mother of two and former General Electric engineer and marketing manager, said it's too early to know how much money the proposed agreement could generate for the district. The school system would get 60 percent of the gross advertising revenue in the first year and 75 percent in the second and third years of the agreement.

Holman headed a political action committee that spearheaded the 2001 successful campaign for a half-penny sales tax to pay for school construction. She led a committee last spring that raised $100,000 to save junior varsity sports and academic competitions from elimination.

Holman floated the idea of launching an advertising and naming rights program to the superintendent in mid-2008. "This is really my forte. You combine it with my passion for the schools and it's the perfect thing for me," she said.

 

School Board member Stan Schmidt suggested the district may want to invite other interested parties to make proposals. "If we're going to have exclusive rights, should we not open it to other people?" he asked. "Maybe we can get a better deal."

But a majority of board members said Holman has proven her ability to deliver for the school system.

"I feel extremely comfortable this is in Nancy's hands," Diane Smith said. "Nancy is a strong advocate for education and our children."