May 26, 2011 at 01:08 PM
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Ohio Lawmakers Considers Ads On School Buses

Faced with cash strapped school districts, Ohio lawmakers have introduced a plan that will let school districts gain additional revenue by selling their own ads on school buses. If H.B. 353. passes, each school district will be able to solicit and award contracts for the sale of ad space on their own buses, with a few category exceptions: alcohol, tobacco, gambling, or anything of a sexual nature or for the support or opposition of a candidate for public office, a public office or public official, or the passage of a levy, bond issue, or other election issue. Here's a portion of the proposed bill...


Sec. 3327.20. The board of education of any school district that owns and operates a school bus, or that privately contracts for the operation of a board-owned school bus, may adopt a resolution establishing procedures for soliciting bids and awarding contracts for the sale of commercial advertising space on the outside surface of either side of the bus. Advertisements displayed on a school bus under this section shall be in the form of a sign attached to the surface of the bus. No advertisement shall be painted on the surface of the bus.

The board's procedures adopted under this section shall do at least all of the following:

(A) Limit the sale of advertising space only to for-profit entities;

(B) Prohibit the sale of advertising space for alcohol, tobacco, gambling, or anything of a sexual nature or for the support or opposition of a candidate for public office, a public office or public official, or the passage of a levy, bond issue, or other election issue;

(C) Provide for the establishment of a district committee made up of district administrators and attorneys to approve all school bus advertisements sold by the district.

If the board leases a school bus that it operates, or contracts for student transportation services on a privately owned school bus, the board may negotiate a provision of the lease or contract under which the board may sell commercial advertising space on either side of the bus in accordance with this section.

If a school district board donates the use of advertising space on the side of a school bus or if the board itself uses that space for advertising, that use shall not be for any of the same purposes for which sale to a for-profit entity is prohibited under division (B) of this section.

Read more about the bill here.

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