Naming rights idea needs testing first
Shelby County Schools should try a pilot project before totally revising its facilities naming rights policy.
The SCS Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the change Oct. 27. The revision would allow companies to chip in money for capital improvements in exchange for recognition.
On the surface, the idea seems to be a good way for the cash-strapped school district to raise money to make improvements on school campuses. Still
commercializing public school campuses is a step that goes well beyond glee clubs, parent-teacher organizations or boosters raising money for school activities or projects.
Lawyer Richard Myers, a White Station High School parent, is pushing the idea. He told The Commercial Appeal’s education writer, Jennifer Pignolet, that he got the idea after viewing the school’s “decaying infrastructure ... The grounds look terrible.”
Myers said he is ready to go with a renovation plan if the board approves the revision, which calls for landscaping along Perkins, a parking garage, library addition and softball field, broken up into three phases for a combined cost of $26.7 million.
While not commenting on Myers’ plan, SCS Superintendent Dorsey Hopson supports the policy change, which would greatly broaden the district’s current limited policy on whose name can appear on SCS property. Companies and individuals — living or dead — could put their names on science labs or theaters.
This may not be that much of an issue, for example, if the family of a well-known or beloved science or drama teacher wants to make a donation to make major improvements to those facilities, and the school board recognizes the gift by naming the facility after that person.
It is another matter, though, if the policy change allows commercial interests to make schools one big advertising billboard.
There is language in the policy change that would result in the forfeiture of naming rights if the board determined it was no longer suitable for the name to be part of an educational environment.
Selling naming rights to raise money for school improvements is a big step that can have positive and negative results. That is why we urge the board not to jump into this whole hog.
Try the change as a pilot program to get a good sense of the pluses and minuses. Once that information is in hand, the board would be better able to judge whether a complete revision is prudent.