November 19, 2015
Billboards and promotions on public transit vehicles are a rampant part of the landscape of urban life, but now the Board of Education in Vineland, New Jersey, has approved the placement of advertisements on district school buses.
The board reached a one-year contract on Wednesday with the Mullica Hill-based Educational Information & Resource Center to market advertising space, according to The Daily Journal.
Sales of ad space – which have previously attracted interest from local businesses – could generate up to $10,000 for the school district. Fifty percent of the money earned would be used to defray the cost of fuel.
Each ad that appears on a school bus will need to be approved by the board in consideration of both content and size relative to the bus. Applications will be joined by a depiction of the ad as it will be placed on a bus.
The practice has picked up steam in nine states since Texas led the way to address fiscal issues in school districts statewide. Some organizations, such as the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, oppose the practice on grounds that it sells out students for minimal financial gain.
