Solution offered for Joplin R-8 financial problems: We're selling education

Now we know how the Joplin R-8 Administration plans to build its rapidly dwindling reserves.

You would think the plan might involve cutting spending- maybe stop hiring more $50,000+ plus officials to staff the adminstration office at 32nd and Duquesne, or perhaps eliminating the travel by administrators and the various teaching and learning coaches (the junior administrators in waiting) to various seminars in Washington, D. C., Colorado, Florida, Texas, or anywhere else that might be offering an opportunity for a getaway.

If you thought that, you would be wrong.

By a 7-0 vote (of course) a few moments ago, the Joplin R-8 Board of Education gave the go-ahead for a plan to start monetizing everything from the website, to the naming of classrooms and buildings.

The proposal, which was conceived by the district's director of community development Kim Vann and presented by board member Dawn Sticklen, began with a note that other people are making money off Joplin Schools, such as those who publish sports schedules and calendars, so why should the school not get in on the action?

As possible fundraising ideas, Ms. Sticklen mentioned the naming of the new facilities that are being built across the district and even classrooms in those buildings as well as sports fields.

Advertising could even be placed on the parking lot flags, she added.

Naturally, Ms. Sticklen said, rules would have to be implemented in the sale of such advertising that would "protect the integrity of education."

At a time when "filling the fund gap" is becoming more and more important for the school district, she said, these ideas could bring in much needed revenue.

Another source of income, the district website, could also bring in some cash, Ms. Sticklen said, noting that the site has 250,000 visitors a month. "This is traffic we can monetize."

Board President Jeff Flowers said there is "a lot of interest in the business community" in this kind of advertising.

Ms. Sticklen said the advertising would be more beneficial for the businesses than giving donations.

The board has to come up with some money somewhere since it recently approved a "strategic plan" that calls for reserves to drop from their already dangerously low 14 percent to 8 to 10 percent by next year. The plan also includes, without saying how it would be accomplished, that the reserves will go back up to 25 percent (the recommended level) by 2015.