Posted on January 27, 2006

Public Schools Court Private Donors

Reflecting a growing trend nationwide, a $55 million public high school set to open next fall in Philadelphia is offering plenty of naming opportunities as it seeks private funds to help foot the bill, the New York Times reports.

A brochure for the new school, dubbed the School of the Future, offers dozens of opportunities for donors to get their name or corporate logo on the walls, including $1 million for the performing arts pavilion, $750,000 for the gyms or the main administrative suite, $500,000 for the food court and cyber café, $50,000 for the science laboratories, and $25,000 for individual classrooms. And for $5 million, the district will name the school itself named after the donor. "My approach is Leave No Dollar Behind," said Paul Vallas, chief executive of the Philadelphia schools, who added that a school board review of each transaction would weed out undesirable donors, such as tobacco and liquor companies.

According to school officials, the push for private financing stems from several different pressures. In most states, tight budgets, new government requirements, and rising operating costs have left the pool of state education financing too small to keep up with local needs and desires. Moreover, public schools have become increasingly aware of how colleges, hospitals, and private schools use naming rights in fundraising.

But education experts and school officials say private financing for public schools carries real risks, such as exacerbating the gap between affluent and low-income districts, donors asking for a disproportionate role in shaping education policy, and legislators shrugging off their responsibility to adequately fund public education. "Public schools are the most important public institutions outside of government," said Wendy Puriefoy, president of the Public Education Network. "They're a place where people see the commitment they have made through their taxes every time they walk by and see kids going in. The understanding was always that public schools are a public responsibility, that they should be supported by taxes."