Ah, the lessons being learned by this…
Wisconsin schools find corporate sponsors
A growing number of cash-strapped cities and schools are selling naming rights to parks, gyms, locker rooms and even the principal’s office.
Kitchens at two high schools here will soon be called the Kohler Credit Union kitchens, thanks to a $45,000 donation. The cafeterias are up for grabs for $300,000.
Cities and schools can get one-time payments in excess of $500,000 for naming big facilities. Schools have been selling the rights for several years, and now an increasing number of cities are joining the trend, says Larry Foxman of the National League of Cities.
Chicago is accepting bids to name the freeway now called the Chicago Skyway. Washington, D.C., considered selling naming rights to its subway stations. Las Vegas sells naming rights for its monorail.
Dean Bonham, CEO of the Bonham Group, a sports marketing company that negotiates naming rights, says the deals work for schools and cities because “it costs them nothing to create this revenue.” For companies, it’s “the best marketing platform available.”
Critics argue against commercializing civic buildings. The answer to budget woes isn’t for cities and schools “to put themselves up for sale,” says Gary Ruskin of Commercial Alert, a non-profit group. “It shows the decline in our values.”
“We’re investing in the 5-year-olds who, two decades from now, may start working here,” Salzmann says. “We’re using naming rights to recruit employees over decades.”
I’m perfectly willing to accept payment and a signpost for my driveway — if anyone’s interested.
This is retarded. Schools do not need anymore money, they need better managment. Adjusted for inflation schools now receive more money than anytime in history.
My school district (Harford County, MD) receives 5000 per pupil. My districts manages to replace building, buy computers, hire qualified teachers, and score high on state tests. Baltimore City receives 8000 per pupil yet cannot replace buildings, hire qualified teachers, or manage to get passing scores on state tests. They are so bad the state attempted to take over control of them.
Look at private schools espically religious (not Catholic) ones. They consistently have lower tuition than the money that the public schools receive and somehow almost always manage to teach the kids better.
Actually, Andrew, while I agree with your facts — your conclusion is off target. Every study concludes that when you match oranges and oranges, students from comparable economic backgrounds, public school students outperform private students on standardized tests.
Saing that, I live in a state where it’s the norm for the school system to be treated like the highway department — it’s where cousin Ernie gets you a safe job. So, we end up with management staff in a school system often outnumbering students. And the crap rolls on.
We’ll probably get schools named for Taco Bell, real soon now.
I used to get livid over this issue, until I caught myself in my own bullshit. I was saying, “I sure hope no one every renames Wrigley Field after some lame ass corporation.” So much for getting angry.
But then, Wrigley is a family name as well as the name of the chewing gum empire, and they built that field. Wrigley has become a ubiquitous name and a brand name, but it has history.
I worked for 3Com when they bought the naming rights for Candlestick Park. 3Com Park just doesn’t have the same ring. I know there is no such place as The Taco Bell Arena, but there will be and that just sounds ugly and crass.
I know neo-cons and Ayn Rand worshippers are gonna all tied up in knots about this obviously communist idea I have, but maybe it isn’t a good idea if a corporate logo, brand name, trademark, whatever, gets shoved into every little nook and cranny of our culture. Its ugly. Its nervewracking. I don’t wanna take the Microsoft Parkway to the JCPenny Crossover so I can get to the Exxon Beach and lay out under the Intel Sun.
I know every company has a right to market themselves, but we have a right also, which to enjoy our neighborhoods, culture, traditions, towns, cities, countryside, and nation and not have to be advertised to everytime we take a breath. And many of those building being named are ours. The culture is ours. The country is ours. We should also have a say in OUR culture, not just the few of us who sit on the Board Of Directors.
As for the notion that companies are paying money to schools, universities, etc., to sponsor buildings in exchange for naming rights… Companies should do that anyway, without expecting something in return above the already valuable return they were getting anyway: An educated labor market – the next generation of visionaries – a consumer base with potentially greater spending power. Investing in these institutions is investing in their future too.
Our economy is about money. Our society, our culture, our lives are about so much more.
“Sorry I write these really long posts sometimes” 🙂
I love the idea of local businesses getting involved with schools, even on this level. However, if every school winds up with a Coke-a-Cola lunchroom, a Nike gym, and a Microsoft computer lab the plan will just desolve into marketing… and weak marketing at that.
However, to say that all schools don’t need more money is a joke. Many do not, but the poor neighborhood school my mother teaches at in ultra-liberal, white run Madison, WI is over-crowded and under-funded, unable to change because of a weak school board, the inability to get bond issues passed, and a Democratic governor who won’t do shit for the teacher’s union.
Long story short: I’d rather have the school named after Taco Bell than having the majority of students destined to work at Taco Bell.
“I don’t wanna take the Microsoft Parkway to the JCPenny Crossover so I can get to the Exxon Beach and lay out under the Intel Sun.”
Get with it. The sun was purchased by Sun Microsystems last week to keep it from going open source.
AND.
its a TOTAL write off to the companies and corps.
#7 🙂
I’m reminded of an exchange between Seinfeld and Kramer.
(paraphrased, of course)
K: They just write it off.
S: What do you mean, they just write it off?
K: Well, they just write it off.
S: Do you even know what writing it off means?
K: No. But they do. And they’re the ones writing it off!
#5 – James Hill
I agree with your first and third paragraphs, which given the bulk of your postings is, to me at least, something of a miracle.
However: “but the poor neighborhood school my mother teaches at in ultra-liberal, white run Madison, WI is over-crowded and under-funded, unable to change because of a weak school board, the inability to get bond issues passed, and a Democratic governor who won’t do shit for the teacher’s union.
Dude. I can’t tell if you are conservative or just kooky. According to the stereotypical mythology about liberals, I am the one who is supposed to complain about the “white” run school in the poor neighborhood. Plus, I am supposed to favor the union, while you should be thankful that the governor is neglecting his base (if, in reality, he actually is). Further, if it’s a poor neighborhood, you should be praising the fact that valuable government resources aren’t being wasted on these deadbeats who should pull up on their bootstraps and get a job insteading of sucking off the public teat.
I can’t tell if you are bad at being conservative, bad at being liberal, confused, or just a bad writer. That paragraph is plain goofy.
(frankly, despite thinking that you are usually wrong, I tend to expect your writing to be better, because really, it usually is.)
For some time now I have wondered why a city can issue a bond to build a $500 million + stadium / arena / field / coliseum / dome / sports center so a professional team may make money providing employment for millionaire players while pricing the tickets outside the reach of ordinary people. Then they cry poor at supporting schools that will be educating the kids who will run all those hospitals and nursing homes we will use when we get old and sick.
there’s corporate naming and then there’s corporate naming. I confess to being very relieved when they named the new St. Louis baseball park “Busch Stadium,” but “Minute Maid Park” just sounds stupid.
as far as public buildings go – just another instance of cowardly politicos going for the “easy” dollar instead of either cutting costs or raising taxes.
Write it off.
Taking it off taxes they OWE.
Rather then the GOV paying it, WE have to pay it.
The corps show they paid the school, ALOT of money so they dont have to pay it. THEN the Gov says ‘ok, where we get the monry now?” we end up paying it.
10,
Yep…
If a State facility ISNT making money GET RID OF IT.
Dont care if its a Stadium, Auditorium, or what. If they WANT into the business it should NOT cost the tax payer.