Ads coming to New Jersey school buses
Friday, September 17th, 2010
New Jersey School Districts will be able to sell advertising space on the sides of school buses if a measure approved by the Assembly Education Committee is enacted into law.
Sponsors of the legislation say the ads could generate as much as a $1,000 per bus. The measure requires 50 percent of the revenue be used to offset the cost of student transportation. Local school boards could spend the rest on other services and programs.
As schools cope with cuts in government aid, Paramus School Superintendent Jim Montesano says money from those ads would be helpful.
"Any form of revenue that we can sustain, because obviously we're not a revenue producing type of organization, is going to assist whether it's helping us support a additional classroom teacher or some aides for the kids is certainly going to be of assistant to us."
School boards would have to approve the ads, and they would not be allow to promote tobacco, alcohol, or political advocacy.
School bus advertising is a form of revenue other states are embracing. This method is a proven winner in many states as a way of generating much needed revenue for individual school districts. It is time for New Jersey School districts to stop the bleeding and pass this law allowing school bus advertising. The time has come to begin to create alternate revenue streams. The fear of this form of advertising causing more automobile accidents is ridiculous. Why not be able to control the advertisement that our children will be exposed to?
This form of advertising will enable the individual school districts the authority to monitor what advertisements are printed prior to having the ad applied to the school buses. The advertiser will be made solely responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement and/or such violations as infringement or misappropriation of any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, unfair competition, defamation, and invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of any anti-discrimination law or regulation, or any other right of any person or entity. The advertiser will be required to agree to and sign a contract indemnifying the School District, Town, County and the State of New Jersey and hold them harmless from any from any and all liability, loss, damages, claims or cause of action including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred by the School District, Town, County and the State of New Jersey arising out of or related to the advertisers breach of any of the foregoing. These advertisements can also be used to bring public messages in a clear and concise manner.
New Jersey residents will vote down most school budgets next week proving Governor Christie is on the right track. The NJEA along with NJSIAA will need to embrace these alternate methods to generate much needed income to continue with sporting events, field trips and marching band activities etc. Please contact me for more information. Thank you.