‘It will not be gaudy’: District 214 inks deal for ads at stadiums and gyms

Northwest Suburban High School District 214 has inked a contract with an advertising agency to secure corporate sponsorships, naming rights and other ads in and around football fields and school gymnasiums.

The agreement with Power Ad Co. — the Franklin, Ohio-based company that would solicit potential advertisers in the Northwest suburbs — could generate up to $275,000 a year in revenue for the state’s second largest high school district, which is facing some $900 million in renovation costs across its six high schools and considering a referendum to help pay for it.

Bill Dussling, a longtime school board member from Arlington Heights who was the lone “no” vote on the agreement late last week, called any ad revenues generated “a drop in the bucket.”

He questioned the process by which district officials would distribute the funds equitably across the six schools, and noted monies wouldn’t directly support students in cocurricular programs.

“I’m basically opposed to selling or using district or school facilities for sponsorship or advertising purposes,” Dussling said. “Possibly this is a generational thing for me — I’ll grant you that.”

But board member Vicki Chung of Mount Prospect said the district should take advantage of the opportunity to bring in money to offset its reliance on taxpayer dollars.

“Every little bit helps when it makes sense,” she said. “And to me, this makes sense.”

Under the six-year deal, Power Ad would initially find advertisers for the new digital football stadium scoreboards at Buffalo Grove and Wheeling high schools, windscreens along school stadium fences, and scoreboards inside gymnasiums.

After the company takes a $5,000 “marketing fee” cut, the district gets to keep all the rest from “title” naming rights sponsorships — generally, those above $50,000, according to the agreement.

Anything less than that, the district and ad agency will share commissions on a sliding scale. For example, the district and company will split revenue from ads on digital LED panels and windscreens, per the agreement.

There’s no up-front cost for the district to enter into the contract, but the district will pay for installation and maintenance of the ad panels.

School officials will have final say over all ad content and placement.

Sponsors also will receive social media mentions from the schools, and be able to hand out flyers or coupons at games.

Though he supported the deal, board member Frank Fiarito of Mount Prospect said he doesn’t want to see a proliferation of ads on school facilities.

“I don’t want our football stadiums to look gaudy — just overrun with ads left and right. I mean, we’re not Wrigley Field,” he said.

Superintendent Scott Rowe, who has worked with Power Ad in the past, said any ads displayed “will be done with the highest level of class and taste.”

“It will not be gaudy by any stretch,” he said.