Naming rights, advertising enter BASD policy discussion

When it comes to raising funds for facility improvements, how much is too much?

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff Writer

When discussing ideas on how to fund what some consider needed upgrades to Burlington Area School District athletic facilities last week, community member Kevin Bird laid out three possibilities.

One involved fundraising, and a second involved the idea of a referendum and taxpayer financing.

The third involves changing BASD policies regarding naming rights and sponsorship – something the Burlington Area School District School Board Policy Committee looked over Monday night.

After listening to pleas from community members Todd Terry and Tom Follis – and a list of possible issues from the board and Policy Committee members – School Board member Jim Bousman agreed to research what might and what might not be preferred, or even possible.

“We’ve got the experience (of others) out there,” Bousman said. “Let’s take a look.”

The proposal put before the Policy Committee Monday night would involve changing two separate policies – 840.2, fundraising and signage, and 940, naming school facilities.

Right now, commercial advertising signs, banners and other related items are not permitted on school property.

The naming policy is a bit more nebulous, as it calls naming a facility “a serious decision requiring thoughtful consideration.” Generally, facilities will only be named after people who have been dead 10 years or more, made a significant contribution to the school, school district, community or country.

So between which policy – if either – does the idea of letting a large donor ask for the rights that a field be named after him or her fall?

That is the question the board tried to wrestle with Monday evening. Among the concerns raised were the idea of over-commercializing the district, as well as possibly discriminating against some donors and not others.

As School Board member Phil Ketterhagen explained, very few people would have a problem if NFL quarterback Tony Romo were to donate $100,000 and ask the football field be named after him – but what if the Koch Brothers were to do the same?

“I think it puts the school board in a real bind,” Ketterhagen explained.

If numerous people were to donate to the same project, whose names would be listed – and where? That was brought up, as was the idea of any number of commercial ventures asking to put their names on anything from iPads to auditorium seats.

As School Board President David Thompson said, “The devil’s in the details.” And how the board would define the details is a matter of opinion.

Some board members felt the district should take it on a case-by-case basis, and School Board member Roger Koldeway specifically suggested not revising any of the policies.

“If we make a policy, that opens everything wide open,” he said.

School Board member Larry Anderson called it “outright commercialism,” and wanted to avoid naming anything unless it was a large donation.

“I think it’s a different thing if you have a person who is going to donate a major amount toward a specific structure,” Anderson explained.

At the end of all the discussion though, Terry pointed out this was all the proposal was designed to do right now.

“That’s what we wanted tonight,” Terry said. “Some dialogue.”

Terry, an attorney, also pointed out that the district could likely limit its liability – especially if it were to put together a contract with a morality clause to address any untoward behavior that would result in the district wanting to remove a name.

He also said that some people are interested in donating, but are waiting to see where the discussion will go.

Follis made no bones about the fact that the facilities need an upgrade.

“These facilities are packed,” Follis said. “If we can expand those facilities … and find people to help with the costs associated with it, everybody wins.”