Posted at: 11/23/2009 7:38 PM
By: Donny Rowles

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District Considers Corporate Sponsorship

(ABC 6 NEWS) -- The Rochester school district is looking at new ways to raise money in the wake of an anticipated 4.5 million dollar budget shortfall.
 
One of those ideas up for consideration is corporate sponsorship for gyms, scoreboards, stadiums and much more.
 
"We've tried to keep our schools as neutral as possible when it comes to not barraging our kids with all this signage that you kind of see at NASCAR and the NFL."
 
Century high school activities director, Mark Kuisle was asked to come up with recommendations for how sports teams could generate money.
 
He recommends considering selling naming rights to stadiums or gyms, allowing outside vendors into games, selling signage on score boards or selling ads on school websites.
 
"Then we're not giving up our gymnasiums and our athletic fields to all that signage, it's just when they come to the website itself," says Kuisle. 
 
Jackie Silver, who leads the revenue generating committee for the district. 
 
She says when it comes to athletics, it's not about filling a budget hole; it’s about maintaining what they have.
 
"We're hoping it can keep us from cutting the activities and opportunities for students any further than we already are,” says Silver.
 
And while some think sports are expendable, Silver says athletic and academic success go hand in hand.