Ads in Schools Would Market Education

It was recently pointed out in the comments section of a soccer game that Bella Vista High School could use a new soccer field.

Unfortunately, as a public school, Bella Vista can't just swing on down to the local Soccer Field Depot and throw a new pitch in the back of the San Juan Unified minivan.

Schools and school districts are strapped for cash and have experienced an increase in budgetary cuts in recent years, leading students, staff and parents alike to consider what might be on the chopping block next.

If your child's school could generate money that was used to better educate its students, you'd support that, right?

What if it meant subjecting your child to advertisements similar to those seen on billboards or at professional sporting venues?

This may give some people pause.

But given the struggles public schools are facing, sponsorship in schools is not that extreme, nor is it a worse offense than our public schools being crippled due to the economy.

San Juan Unified School District has a contract agreement with Education Funding Partners (EFP), a company that brings corporate sponsorships to schools.

According to an article in the Sacramento Bee titled “Sacramento area school districts rethink ads on campus,” San Juan Unified will allow corporate signage only in common areas, such as cafeterias and sport complexes.

This means, in theory, Bella Vista's soccer field could be renovated from the money made by changing its name to “Big 5 Field,” for example.

This would no doubt be a win for both the school and students. But, some argue, is it worth it?

The idea of being “worth it” is an important – and largely relative – concept to keep in mind here. The pros in this case are obvious. The school makes money, students reap the benefits of new facilities, equipment and fairly-paid teachers. The cons are a bit more difficult to label, but revolve around the idea that teens do not need to be subjected to more marketing, especially while trying to learn.

But in this day and age, where anything and everything is an advertisement, the idea of keeping schools as the one last unsponsored bastion might be noble, but unrealistic and counterproductive. 

The fact that today's teens have grown up in a society where ads are as ubiquitous as the chickens in the Village should serve as all the more reason to move forward with ads in schools.

This generation is numb to sponsorships. I can't tell you how many times I've watched a TV commercial and at it's conclusion have had no idea what it was trying to sell. If I drive 20 miles down Highway 50 east and am then asked to name the billboards I saw, I'm likely only to remember the one with cleavage.

After that “new ad" smell wears off, the signs are going to blend in with the rest of the bland school background.

Come on, since when were we concerned about kids retaining too much from school?

That's not to say that the idea can't be improved upon though. What if there was an emphasis placed upon sponsorships for local businesses? Keeping all the benefits local would be a win-win for the school and community. 

The concerns about “selling out” at the expense of our children is legitimate, but leaving the schools just poor enough to act as part-time babysitters (and bad babysitters, at that) is exponentially more unethical.

If schools have the means to properly educate, students will leave campus with that day's lesson in mind, not a desire to buy new shoes.