-image special to BPS
It can either be considered a creative solution, or a disturbing trend, but it was announced by local media last week that the Donna and Hidalgo Independent School Districts will start offering advertising spots on school buses. On the one hand, this is a simple, and inexpensive way for school districts to make a little extra cash. Cash that pretty much all school districts desperately need these days. It would virtually cost the schools nothing to get it going, I’m sure the advertisers would themselves be in charge of producing all ad materials, and maybe even the setup, leaving plenty of room for the schools to make a healthy profit.
Is this right however? Ads are crammed into everything around us from billboard signs on the road to walls on the street, both consciously and subconsciously telling us to buy new pants, drink beer, and buy an iPads. Do kids really need more advertisements surrounding them eight hours a day?
The report did point out that the content of the ads would be strictly regulated, and limited only to school buses.
I’m sure this is true, for now anyway, but how many organization in history have every turned away from easy money? Not many, and that’s exactly what this is, it’s a very easy way for school districts to make money, and the more they do it, the more they make.
All signs point to things not getting any better for the economy any time soon; it could take years. School districts will no doubt find themselves struggling for revenue again next year… how far are they willing to go to get it.
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