Notes to Parents to Soon Have Ads

In this week’s http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/10/01/06mct_manotes.h30.html?tkn…: Education Week newsletter -

“This permission slip is brought to you by your local Ford dealership. Have you driven a Ford lately?”…

On Tuesday, the committee approved selling advertising that will appear on notices sent home to parents from the (Peabody School) district’s eight elementary schools. The ads—10 business-card-size placements—will appear on the back of each sheet of paper sent home to parents. That includes any type of notice, permission slip and more.

The initiative is expected to raise between $20,000 and $24,000 for the district. Although a relatively small amount, it could be a boost. This year, the district has tripled bus fees, added fees for nonprofits to use school buildings and cut teaching positions in response to declining state aid and revenue.

“It’s a way of raising some revenue and a way of letting parents know which companies support our schools, and hopefully that will give them business,” School Committee member Dave McGeney said. “They support us, we should support them.”

Creative solution? Tacky idea? Feeling ambivalent?