For Sale

An article in yesterday's Portsmouth Herald explained that Portsmouth is considering partnering with a for-profit company that brings together school districts and local businesses in a fundraising venture that finds the lowest available credit card transaction fee for businesses. A portion of the fees are then donated to the school district. Part of the process is that the school board members are expected to work their own contacts in the business world to seek out partners in this venture,  changing the role of the SB to something more like what I imagine a Board of Directors to be -- making them active participants in fundraising.

The idea of creating corporate partnerships in Newmarket schools was floated a while back on one of the Facebook forums. One idea was renting space to a bank and then utilizing some of those resources in curriculum and employment opportunities (think "on the job" training) for the students. Another suggestion was Starbucks or something like it.

I'm not naive. It happens. But I don't want my kids to be advertised to while they're supposed to be learning. I know that we currently have fundraisers at Applebee's and encourage parents to shop at Stop & Shop and Target to get rewards for our schools. We collect boxtops and soup labels.
But where do we draw the line?

A quick Google search and I found...

• How Proctor and Gamble, who make Always pads and Old Spice deodorant reach 85% of America's 5th graders.
• Playgrounds sponsored by Coca-Cola. Maybe Coke didn't hang a sign over the entrance, but the students wrote thank you letters to the corporation illustrating the link pretty clearly.
• Curriculums sponsored by Shell and the American Coal Foundation.

Already we have PSNH come to the elementary school to talk about electricity and hand out rulers, folders and pencils stamped with the PSNH logo. King Arthur flour sponsors a bread making event in the district. I don't know what other sponsored curriculum or events we might already have in Newmarket. 

Something about it all creeps me out. Should schools allow this? Where do we draw the line? Is having a computer lab sponsored by Best Buy the worst thing we could do to our kids, especially if it's that or nothing? Would it be so bad to have our gym sponsored by Dick's Sporting Goods if it means upgraded locker rooms? (And no, we are NOT in talks with Best Buy or Dick's Sporting Goods -- I'm not trying to start any rumors here).

I don't have the answers, but I think it's something our community needs to consider.