School District May Turn To Billboards For Cash

FAIRFIELD (CBS13) -- The Fairfield-Suisun School District is giving serious thought to opening up its public school grounds to advertisements from private companies to offset the budget pinch.

District officials say schools have lost $34 million in the past several years and likely will not regain the funding anytime soon. No decisions have yet been made, but officials are considering clarifying advertising policies to allow schools to turn to a new revenue source.

"This is a new era we're in, in terms of educational funding," said school board member Pat Shamansky. "You would always have to think about what is best for students and use discretion of what you are advertising, age appropriate things."

Several board members said local businesses would be preferred for advertising agreements, but said corporate franchises would be welcomed if the price was right.