With the consent of the drivers,is posting ads on cars in school's parking lot legal?

[Journalist]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

Hey, we are a group of high school students in our Senior year and we are trying to start our first business.

Our idea is to print ads on colored posters (20' x 30') and pay students to put these posters on their cars in the student parking lot, and we charge the advertisers.

Is this against any school regulations? The content of the ads will be school appropriate. We put up the ads in the morning 30 minutes before school starts and take them down during lunch.

I am worried because I am also the editor-in-chief of our newspaper and last year we had some troubles with the school regarding the ads that we put on our paper.

What are some things that I need to be careful with in order to stay within the confines of the regulations?

Thank you,
Alex

 

[Antigone*]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

Hey, we are a group of high school students in our Senior year and we are trying to start our first business.

Our idea is to print ads on colored posters (20' x 30') and pay students to put these posters on their cars in the student parking lot, and we charge the advertisers.

Is this against any school regulations? The content of the ads will be school appropriate. We put up the ads in the morning 30 minutes before school starts and take them down during lunch.

I am worried because I am also the editor-in-chief of our newspaper and last year we had some troubles with the school regarding the ads that we put on our paper.

What are some things that I need to be careful with in order to stay within the confines of the regulations?

Thank you,
Alex

If you are concerned about following school rules, then you should be posing your questions to school admin.

 

[Journalist]

We are more worried about state laws.

 

[quincy]

Although it is certainly easier and probably faster to ask the administrator, as Wirelessany1 advised, here are some Codes to start you out.

The California Education Code, section 17604.
The California Public Contracting Code, section 20111.
The California Business and Professional Code, section 17200.

California law requires school districts to competitively bid contracts in which the district grants advertising rights. The contracts permit corporations to advertise their products and logos on school property in exchange for cash or non-cash compensation to the school district.

School boards must conduct open public hearings before approving any commercial contract. Contracts can include advertising on vending machines, sporting event scoreboards, books and book covers, posters, the internet, corporate sponsored programs or educational materials. . . the list goes on.

School districts are free to prohibit ALL commercial advertising on school property (including the wearing of Budweiser tee-shirts). School districts can also state which products can and cannot be advertised and where ads will or will not be permitted. But many school districts now rely on funding by corporations and will offer contracts in exchange for needed funding or supplies. Free computer use may be offered by an ISP in exchange for rights to advertise via an internet browser, for instance, saving the school district money. And many of the contracts will give EXCLUSIVE rights to advertise (ie. a contract to Coke will prohibit advertising by Pepsi). There must be written approval from the district, however, before there is any commercial advertising on school property.

Not all states have policies, statutes or regulations that restrict or authorize commercial activities on school property, but California has comprehensive ones.

Although your business venture has possibilities OFF school grounds, it could be prohibited ON school grounds.