851.1 - Sponsorship Policy

851.1 & 851.1-Rule

SPONSORSHIP POLICY

SPONSORSHIP

The Board encourages partnerships with potential sponsors to help support improvements to District buildings, grounds, programs, and services to support our efforts to fulfill our educational mission. The District will work with sponsors to determine an appropriate level of acknowledgement in recognition of a sponsor’s contribution of money, goods and/or services. The intent of the District will be to minimize the impact of commercialism on students while maximizing partnerships with sponsors to support the District’s mission of educating students. No sponsorship shall contradict the District’s mission or conflict with Board policies. No sponsorship shall be construed as an endorsement, by the District, Board or school, of the sponsor or its product, service, program, etc. No sponsorship agreement shall require that the District’s programs or services be delivered in a specific manner. A sponsorship may be acknowledged with awarding of naming rights (see Naming Rights section). The District, Board, and schools reserve the right to accept or decline a sponsorship offer as determined to be in the best interests of the District.

Procedure

School level sponsorships: For sponsorships acknowledged by the school, the principal or his/her designee will evaluate the request and determine whether to allow the sponsorship. The Principal must refer sponsorship requests that are $5,000 or more or require recognition that extends beyond one year to the Superintendent or his/her designee for written approval. The Superintendent may refer such requests to the Board for approval. (Refer to Donor Recognition Program Plan below.)
District level sponsorships: For sponsorships acknowledged by the District, the Superintendent or his/her designee will evaluate the request and determine whether to allow the sponsorship. The Superintendent or his/her designee may refer sponsorship requests that are $10,000 or more or require recognition that extends beyond one school year to the Board for approval.

The Board accepts paid advertisements. “Advertisement” means any payment of money or other economic benefit to the District or a school for promoting the sale of a product, service, activity, or program that requires visual, audio, or video placement of a name, slogan, or product message on a School District property, publication, or broadcast. No paid advertisement may undermine the mission of the District or conflict with Board policies. No paid advertisement shall be construed as an endorsement by the District, Board, or school. The District, Board, and schools reserve the right to accept or decline any paid advertisement as determined to be in the best interests of the District.

Procedure

School level advertisements: Advertisements placed in school publications will be evaluated and approved by the building principal or his/her designee.
District level advertisements: Advertisements placed in District facilities (individual or multiple), on District grounds, or in District publications will be evaluated and approved by the Superintendent or his/her designee. The Superintendent or his/her designee may use discretion in requesting Board approval of advertising requests.

NAMING RIGHTS

Sponsorships that are to be acknowledged through the naming of District facilities, programs, endowed positions, or other recurring costs will require Board approval. The Board will consider the size of the contribution and the longevity terms. The Board reserves the right to revoke previously awarded naming rights as determined to be in the best interests of the District.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS CONTRACTS

Exclusive rights contracts must be forwarded to the Superintendent or his/her designee for approval. Superintendent may refer those contracts to the Board. An “exclusive rights contract” means any payment of a premium or provision of some economic benefit to a school or the District for the right to be a sole provider of a service or good. The term includes limited exclusive rights contracts where more than one provider may supply the same or similar service or product. No exclusive right contract may conflict with the District mission or Board policies. The Board will consider whether the substantial benefit of the contract justifies the required advertising, sale of products, or other contract provision. The Board reserves the right to revoke an exclusive rights contract as determined to be in the best interests of the District.

PROHIBITED COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES

The above policy notwithstanding, no commercial activity as defined or allowed by this policy shall be associated with tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, or weapons; contain vulgar and plainly offensive, obscene, or sexually explicit language or graphics; advocate the violation of law or District policy; advance any religious or political organization; promote, favor, or oppose a candidate for elected office or a ballot measure; be associated with any company or individual whose actions are inconsistent with the District’s mission and goals or community values; or otherwise be in violation of law. Additionally, the activity cannot negatively affect the fiscal condition of the District or place any financial limitations on the District.

No sponsor may use the name, portrait, or picture of any student or staff member without having first obtained the written consent of the person, or if the person is a minor, of his or her guardian. In addition, the District shall not provide any personally identifiable data about a student or staff member without having first obtained the written consent of the person, or if the person is a minor, of his or her guardian, and approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee, unless otherwise determined to be a public document pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes. No student, in order to participate in a school program or schoolsponsored activity, shall be required to provide personal identifiable data to the sponsor of a commercial activity without having first given his/her written consent, or if the person is a minor, that of his/her guardian, and approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee. Students shall not be required to complete any survey or questionnaire that is designed to provide marketing information to a vendor or business about their interests or preferences for a particular vendor, business, or product.

Any commercial activity allowed by this policy shall be respectful of all people without regard to disability, race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, religion, marital status, socioeconomic status, cultural background, familial status, physical characteristics, or linguistic characteristics.

Cross References:
Political Candidates Speaking to Students, 382-Rule
Relationship with Community and Community Organizations (Student Fundraising), 881-Rule
Student Records, 347-Rule
Naming School District Facilities, 940

Adoption Date: April 13, 2009

Amended Date: July 27, 2015

Donor Recognition Program Plan

Any donor recognition program for a major project that results in a long-term display needs to be approved by the Board and will follow established precedents to the degree possible.

The recognition plan that is to be submitted must include the following for consideration:

How will the project that is to be recognized benefit the District? (Be specific about the project and the benefits).
What is the nature of the goods, services, and/or the amount of money to be provided to the District?
1. For single sponsors, how does the sponsor wish to be recognized? The acknowledgement choices include, but are not limited to, making an announcement at a District event, the placement of a sponsor’s logo and/or name, address, web site, internet address in a District publication, on the District’s educational cable access channel, on the District’s website, in a District news release, etc., and notwithstanding the Board’s policy on naming facilities, the right to name a building, or area within a school or school campus.
2. If multiple sponsors are to be recognized, articulate the following:
  - Categories of recognition corresponding to the level of sponsorship (Example: For X dollars, the donor will be recognized with [how]),
  - Location – placement of the visible recognition,
  - Length of the time the recognition will remain in place.

The Board and the District administrator or his/her designee shall take into consideration the criteria set forth below when considering a sponsorship request:

Whether accepting the sponsorship will be in conflict with the mission of the District or the District’s curriculum and/or instructional program.
Whether accepting the sponsorship is consistent and compatible with District and Board priorities and educational objectives.
Whether the sponsorship would adversely affect the District’s reputation or image.
Whether the sponsorship promotes the engagement of illegal activity.
Whether the sponsorship is contrary to the ethical principles and beliefs of the District or the School Board.
Whether the sponsorship creates an endorsement of a political cause, political activity, candidate for a political office, or political position, etc.
Whether the sponsorship would appear to exploit or demean a person based upon, among other things, the person’s protected status.
Whether the sponsorship promotes the use of tobacco projects, gambling, or alcohol.
Whether the sponsorship promotes the consumption of unhealthy food choices.
Whether the sponsorship will provide fiscal benefit to the District, an individual school, school program, school activity, students, employees, or the community, etc.
Whether the acceptance of the sponsorship will have a neutral or positive effect on the District, and individual school, students, employees and the community.
Whether the sponsorship positively affects the fiscal condition of the District and/or has any financial limitations on the District.

Adoption Date: April 13, 2009

Amended Date: July 27, 2015

Series 800: School/Community Relations

Elementary School

Middle School

High School

Charter & Magnet

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