A Step Closer To Bringing Back School Programs?

, the group promised it would look into the idea of corporate sponsorships, a move some argue could reinstate several programs .

Thursday, the Board of Education’s policy committee approved a new policy allowing “gifts, grants and bequests” to the school district. The policy does not allow for any advertising in return for the money.

“I think this is a benign approach that protects our interests,” Board Chairwoman Kathleen McCarty said. “We are not risking anything.”

What Now

In an interview in November, guaranteed he could find enough money to All freshman sports but football were cut this year, a move that saved the district $26,000.

The gifts policy still has to be approved by the Board of Education. But once it is (likely in February), the group will have to see if Goss is right, and if there is a big market for corporate donors, McCarty said.

“The objective is to see what is out there,” she said.

No Advertising?

The policy does not allow for advertising as part of the corporate donation, Assistant Superintendent Craig Powers said. There are several potential pitfalls to selling advertising, according to a presentation by the Connecticut State Board of Education that Powers gave to the policy committee.

The pitfalls include extra “busy work” for the administration, the vetting of potential advertisers and other consequences, according to the presentation. The company has to be vetted, because if a company advertises with the school, the reputation of the company is now reflected on the reputation of the school, according to the presentation.

The major positive through advertising is there is a chance for more money, according to the presentation. However, first the board needs to know what kind of money is out there, McCarty said.

“We need to know what the climate is like,” she said.

The advertising the district could consider is selling naming rights to a field or putting signs on the fence around the football field, according to the presentation. If there really is a lot of money to be had doing that, maybe the policy could change, McCarty said.