Schools
Parkland May Consider Selling Naming Rights
School district is setting up non-profit education foundation which will hold its first meeting Aug. 11.
Parkland School District's fledgling might take a page from colleges and pro-sports teams and sell exclusive naming rights to some of its facilities as a way to bring in money.
When Parkland officials were considering starting the non-profit foundation, they visited Wilson School District in West Lawn, Pa. to learn how their tax exempt, 501(c)(3) organization works to raise private funds for education. Among other things, Wilson sold the naming rights to its stadium for $30,000 a year for three years, according to Parkland administrators.
At Tuesday night's Parkland School Board meeting, the new superintendent, Richard Sniscak, said the school board would have to vote on any efforts by the foundation to sell naming rights for any district facility.
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With the district still smarting from about $1 million in state budget cuts, board members welcomed the move toward starting the foundation.
"We have to find money," said Board Member Roberta Marcus. "We can't keep burdening the taxpayers to pay for the education system they've asked us to provide. We have to find new revenue streams."
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In June, the district recruited a dozen volunteers to serve on the foundation's board of trustees, which will hold its first meeting at 7 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Administration building, according to district spokeswoman Nicole McGalla. McGalla, who said there are 125 such education foundations in Pennsylvania, outlined some of the benefits. Businesses accepted into the state's Earned Income Tax Credit Program could make tax-deductible contributions to the foundation.
“They look good in the community for giving the money and they get to write off almost all of it," McGalla said.
The foundation might set up an employee giving program through payroll deductions and run an alumni giving campaign. Donations could be made to honor specific educators, she said.
The money raised could be used to improve facilities, technology, and equipment and offer learning enrichment opportunities, as well as "Teacher Venture Grants" for innovation in the classroom, she said.
