Avery County Schools Policy Policy Code: 5240
ADVERTISING IN THE SCHOOLS
The board of education is committed to providing an educational environment with minimal disruptions and distractions for students. Except as provided in this policy, the board prohibits any advertising, marketing, promotion and sponsorship of non-school related products, activities, services or programs (hereinafter “advertising or promotion activities”) during the instructional day and at school activities.
A. APPLICABILITY OF POLICY
This policy applies to any activity designed to encourage students, parents or
employees to purchase or participate in products, services, programs or activities
of non-school related entities, including commercial and non-profit entities.
Examples of prohibited activities include, but are not limited to, announcements,
fliers, banners, posters, presentations, product give-aways, and posting of slogans
and logos.
This policy does not prohibit the following activities:
• school fundraising activities by students, employees or parent
organizations;
• advertisements in school publications such as yearbooks, programs and
student newspapers (see below);
• logos or slogans on scoreboards pursuant to a contract approved by the
board or superintendent, as authorized;
• boards or banners that are for recognition of donations or sponsorships for
a school or the school district; or
• advertisements on school-athletic fields (see below).
B. EXCEPTIONS TO PROHIBITION AGAINST ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION
The superintendent may approve non-school groups or individuals to engage in
advertising or promotion activities during the instructional day or at school
activities only if the following conditions are met:
• any youth-related products, services or activities advertised or promoted
must provide educational, health, safety, cultural, social, or career-related
opportunities or information to students;
• any youth-related products, services or activities advertised or promoted
must be age appropriate;
• the advertising or promotion activities must be conducted in a manner that
does not conflict with the educational mission of the school district;
• students and employees must not be exploited by any advertised or
promoted activity;
Avery County Schools Policy Code: 5240 Page 1 of 3 • assemblies or other meetings of students or staff shall not be called for the purpose of advertising or promoting activities; • the school or school district must not be obligated in any way to the business or organizations involved in the activities; and • any materials displayed or distributed must be consistent with the standards of policy 5210, Distribution of Non-School Material.
C. ADVERTISEMENT IN SCHOOL PUBLICATIONS OR ON ATHLETIC FIELDS
This policy is not intended to restrict or prohibit the sale of advertisements by the
individual schools in school publications or on athletic fields. However, the board
does not intend, by permitting some advertising, to open its school facilities,
including school publications or athletic fields, for unlimited access and
advertising by the general public. The principal has the authority to approve the
placement of advertisements in school publications, pursuant to the following
standards:
1. School publications or athletic field advertisements shall not contain
material that:
• is vulgar, indecent or obscene;
• contains libelous statements, personal attacks or language defaming a
person's character, race, religion, ethnic origin, gender, family status or
disability;
• causes or clearly threatens to cause a material and substantial
disruption of normal classroom activity, any normal school function or
other school activity;
• encourages the commission of unlawful acts or the violation of lawful
school regulations;
• promotes or opposes controversial issues or matters;
• is not age appropriate;
• encourages actions that endanger the health or safety of students;
• advertises any product or service not permitted to minors by law;
• promotes or opposes any political candidate or ballot proposition; or
• contains grammatical or typographical errors.
2. Advertisements in school publications or on athletic fields by non-school
related groups or entities will only include limited identifying and contact
information of the group.
3. Yearbook advertisements may include individual messages to students,
subject to approval by the principal.
4. The board of education reserves to itself the right to cancel any advertisement
in its publication that it deems inappropriate or inconsistent with the
interests of the school district or its students.
Avery County Schools Policy Code: 5240 Page 2 of 3 5. The board of education will not discriminate on the basis of viewpoint.
D. ADVERTISEMENT IN ELECTRONIC MEDIA
The board recognizes that some electronic equipment or software may include
advertisement. As approved by the superintendent, the school district or
individual schools may purchase or accept through donations electronic
equipment or software that contains advertising, provided such advertising is
consistent with the provisions of sections B and C.1 above.
E. PROTECTION OF STUDENT PRIVACY
Except as provided in section B of policy 4720, Surveys of Students, neither the
school district nor any individual school shall require students to provide
marketing information to vendors either through the provision or personal
information or through marketing surveys. In addition, neither the school district
nor any school shall enter into any contract for products or services, including
electronic media services, where personal information will be collected from
students by the providers of such services, unless for the purposes provided in
policy 4720, section B. For the purposes of this section, personal information
includes, but is not limited to, the student’s name, telephone number, email
address and home address.
F. PROCESS TO REQUEST TO ADVERTISE
Any entity or individual interested in advertising or promoting pursuant to this
policy must submit a request to the principal. The principal will review the
request and make a recommendation to the superintendent or his/her designee
within 5 working days of receiving the request. The superintendent or designee
will review the request and make a decision within 10 working days of receiving
the principal’s recommendation. As appropriate, the superintendent or designee
will consult the board attorney concerning a request to advertise.
Any request denied by the superintendent may be appealed to the board of
education. The board will review the request at its next regularly scheduled
meeting.
Legal References: 115C-36, -98
Cross References: Technology in the Educational Program (policy 3220), Surveys of Students (policy 4720), Gifts and Bequests (policy 8220)
Adopted: 1/9/06
Avery County Schools Policy Code: 5240 Page 3 of 3