BOE considers
ads in schools

Advertising would be
allowed on campuses
under a new proposal

Hawaii's public schools and libraries, now largely commercial-free zones, would be allowed to raise money by selling advertising space on campus, under a proposal that will get its first hearing next week.

Hearing planned A proposal to lift the ban on advertising on public school campuses and in libraries will be considered by the Board of Education's Committee on Support Services at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Queen Liliuokalani Building, Room 404, 1390 Miller St.

Board of Education members Garrett Toguchi and Randall M.L. Yee came up with the plan as an optional source of revenue for schools and libraries. They plan to introduce it to members of the Committee on Support Services at its meeting Wednesday afternoon.

"I can understand why there's been a prohibition," Yee said Friday. "I'm sure when it comes to kids and a captive audience, I would anticipate people would be very concerned about what could happen and the implications of any kind of advertising.

"But at this point, given where we are with education, I think it's time to re-look at it. We're trying to put together a policy that has a lot of restrictions and limits as to what can be done, but at least it gives the schools the ability to do something."

Yee and Toguchi said they decided to float the plan on their own, and had not been asked by schools to lift the ban on advertising, which now is prohibited "except for approved school or library fund-raisers or activities." Decisions about whether to accept advertising would be left to each school principal and School Community Council.

Schoolhouse commercialism is a mushrooming trend nationwide, according to the Commercialism in Education Research Unit of Arizona State University's Education Policy Studies Laboratory. Cash-short schools across America are opening their doors to corporations, which are only too happy to come in. Ads are popping up on scoreboards, bulletin boards, school buses and textbooks.

The Arizona research group monitors the trend by tracking press stories on the issue. Its latest report, issued in September, said references to using school property to promote individual corporations have quadrupled since 1990, and "advertising is pervasive in schools."

The report also said there is a growing backlash to the spread of commercial influence in schools, which some observers fear could shift the focus of public education to raising "passive consumers-to-be-sold" rather than "active citizens-to-be."

The National Parent Teacher Association has taken a stand against advertising on campus. A statement on its Web site said the organization "supports policies that protect students from exploitation by prohibiting programs in schools that require students to view advertising."

The plan floated by Toguchi and Lee would continue to ban advertising in classrooms and teaching areas, but allow it on building walls and other public areas of schools and libraries. It would allow only content that "shall be consistent with the mission" of public schools and libraries, and "promote positive behavior, educational activities, health and wellness, co-curricular activities, physical activities and athletic events."

For example, Toguchi said, a company might want to put up a sign saying "Study hard," or "Congratulations, graduates," along with its logo.

"In order for the idea to be accepted, it has to be very restrictive," Toguchi said.

It's too early to say how his colleagues will react to the proposal, which would need approval by the committee as well as the full board.

Board member Maggie Cox, a recently retired principal on Kauai, said she understands the desire to find new sources of money for school programs.

"We just do fund-raiser after fund-raiser," she said, trying to cover the cost of programs such as music and taking students on trips. But she said the board should be careful if it decides to lift its advertising ban.

"I think we've got to start off really small," she said. "We're not here to sell all the Pepsi products that they want to get sold. If you start small and it's not looking so good, then we can stop it."