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For years, many parents and educators have pleaded with state leaders to find more money for schools.

Now, at least one lawmaker thinks he knows where to find some, and it's right in front of every driver's eyes.

Rep. Jim Bird, R-West Jordan, plans to run a bill this legislative session that would allow school districts to sell advertising space on the exteriors of school buses. Bird ran a similar bill last year that failed in committee, amid concerns about exposing children to too much advertising and certain types of ads.

It's likely Bird's bill, HB199, will face similar concerns again this year. But Bird said he decided to take another shot at it because school districts, including the one in his area, Jordan, still need the cash, and putting ads on buses is a good way to raise it.

"We're still spinning from the school district split," Bird said. "We need to come up with some funds to take care of some of these programs and this is one way to do that."

The bill would require the advertising to be "age appropriate," prohibiting ads containing sexual material and ads promoting illegal substances and activities for minors such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs and gambling. It would be up to the Department of Transportation to decide how large the ads could be and where they could be placed. But ads would not be allowed on the backs of school buses, where they could potentially distract drivers from flashing bus lights, and they would not be allowed to resemble traffic control devices.

Bird said it's possible allowing ads could raise hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for districts, not nearly enough to fill their funding shortfalls, but enough to help a little. He said the money could possibly help to restore some of the bus routes Jordan cut this year that transported kids along hazardous walking routes. This school year, Jordan cut about 75 percent of such routes to save about $900,000 and the district board will look at cutting the other 25 percent after this school year, said Steve Dunham, Jordan spokesman.

"Anything that would help the school district with its current financial situation we would appreciate," Dunham said. "Essentially, this is a creative and extraordinary measure to bring funding into schools and would not only benefit Jordan School District but districts throughout the state."

Many schools already allow advertisements at sporting and other events, and last year the Utah Education Association and Utah School Boards Association supported the bill.

But not everyone is thrilled with the idea of ads on buses.

Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, said she would prefer not to see advertising on school buses, but she probably wouldn't oppose the bill if it's the only way Jordan can raise money for essential programs.

"There's something about it that just strikes me as being wrong, that we advertise everywhere, on everything," Moss said. "Kids don't make a choice about riding on school buses."

Some states, such as Texas, already allow ads on school buses and districts there have tried it with varying degrees of success. The Humble Independent School District northeast of Houston earned at least $250,000 between 2008 and early 2010, while The Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District gave up the practice years ago due to a lack of interest from advertisers.

And for years, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services has said it does "not endorse" the idea because the ads can potentially distract drivers, and it can be difficult to control the types of advertising on buses.

Jared Johnson, director of real estate/government relations for YESCO Outdoor Media, said he worries that government entities won't be able to control advertising content as much as private companies, because of constitutional issues. Johnson also spoke against the bill last year along with others from the Utah Outdoor Advertising Association who said they were also concerned about competing with districts.

"We are concerned that inappropriate advertising, [and/or] predatory advertising targeted at children, will be placed on school buses and that there will be little recourse to prevent these kinds of messages," Johnson said in an e-mail Thursday. "Other jurisdictions have faced these questions before, which has resulted in negative impressions of the outdoor advertising industry."

Bird, however, said he anticipates the bill will pass this year and has already received positive feedback from some lawmakers. —

Should ads be allowed on school buses?

O Rep. Jim Bird, R-West Jordan, plans to run a bill this legislative session that would allow school districts to sell advertising space on the exterior of school buses. Read the bill • http://bit.ly/f07J5Q.