Could School Bus Ads Save School Budgets?

ads on school busSchool districts have imposed all sorts of drastic cuts to save money during the down economy, canceling field trips and making parents pay for everything from tissues to sports transportation. And some have now resorted to placing advertisements on school buses. School districts say it’s practically free money, and advertisers love the captive audience that school buses provide. That’s the problem, say opponents: Children are being forced to travel to school on moving media kiosks, and the tactic isn’t much different than dressing teachers in sponsor-emblazoned uniforms.

“Parents who are concerned about commercial messages will have no choice,” said Josh Golin, associate director of Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. “Parents won’t be given the option to send their kids on the ad-free bus.”

Washington lawmakers considered the idea of school bus advertising this year, and the concept is also being tossed around in Ohio, New Jersey and Utah. About half a dozen states already allow bus advertising – including Colorado, Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Tennessee and Texas.

The idea can be traced back about 15 years, but budget woes have led to a recent resurgence.

“This issue comes up on a regular basis when funding gets tight and people are looking for alternative ways to fund school transportation,” said John Green, supervisor for school transportation at the California Department of Education.

Green has a long list of reasons California has not sold ads on its school buses, despite the regular onslaught of creative parents and lawmakers who suggest the idea to him and other state officials.

He says bus ads are rarely as lucrative as the school district expects, they may distract drivers and lead to accidents, and keeping unwanted ads off buses may not be as easy as people think.

A highway authority in Southern California recently lost a court case over its attempt to prevent the Minutemen militia group from “adopting a highway” and putting a sign on the freeway. The judge decided the case on First Amendment issues. Read full article in APP

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3 COMMENTS

  1. How about if we start by not spending money we don’t have, on sending self-congratulating newsletters to every home in Lakewood.
    Did you see that outrage?
    On the day the governor announces deep cuts to BOE funding they have the chutzpah to waste money like that. What was its purpose?

  2. this idea won’t bring money to schools as most buses are owned by private companies and the revenue is peanuts as to what they need

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