BENTONVILLE (KFSM) – The Bentonville School District is looking to put advertisements on their school buses.
These ads will be aimed at promoting a positive district campaign and not goods or services.
“One of the first ones they've proposed, our recent see something, say something campaign to help raise awareness for kids to share things that they are seeing on the campus that might be alarming or of concern,” Brent Leas said.
School board member Brent Leas said the district is looking for a way to raise extra revenue to buy security cameras for the buses.
“It's just another way for us to gather resources to get the things we need to help our students and allow our community partners and patrons to have another way to advertise and get partnered with the school district,” he said.
The law that was passed in 2015 that allows districts to do this states the biggest it can be is 30 inches tall by 60 inches long and it may only be placed on the rear quarter panel on the side of each bus.
“I don't see a need for it, we have the money and to me it's almost a little trashy looking,” parent Amy Rochette said.
The district projects they will receive $175,000 in revenue the first year these ads are on the buses.
Rochette hopes other parents speak up about the issue.
“The amount of money overall isn't a lot, especially from an area such as Bentonville. There are a lot of people that have money, who can donate, we do a lot of fundraisers,” she said.
The district will draft rules as to what times of businesses can advertise and the district can stop the program at any time.
The administration considered something similar in 2016, but it didn't make it to the board for a vote.
The school board will vote on whether or not to put the ads on buses at their next meeting on April 16.