ATLANTA — One idea to boost education funding is being offered by a senior House leader: ads on school buses.
While ads on school buses may be unusual, schools do sell ads on their high school scoreboards, yearbooks and programs for student productions.
House Judiciary Chairman Wendell Willard, R-Sandy Springs, introduced House Bill 111 with bipartisan cosponsors. It removes any prohibition against leasing space on the inside or outside of buses to advertisers.
The ads would be no bigger than 5 feet long and 16 inches high. Also, they couldn’t promote candidates, alcohol, tobacco or individual snacks that are banned from campus.
He said the income from the ads could solve a recent budget problem.
“We’re looking at cutting school-board employees’ insurance. We’re trying to find solutions, and this would give school boards that option,” Willard said.
Gov. Nathan Deal’s budget recommendation eliminates funding for health insurance on part-time school workers, such as bus drivers.
There’s no school board currently asking for advertising. Willard said he drafted the bill and introduced it Wednesday at the suggestion of a marketing executive he knows.
The measure must pass the House and Senate before Deal could sign it into law. Willard’s control over all bills dealing with crime and punishment gives him more leverage than the average lawmaker in sponsoring legislation.
