Quaker Valley School District officials are considering a new policy that would regulate requests from businesses, organizations and individuals seeking naming rights to district facilities.
Administrators have been working with legal counsel for many months to set criteria and procedures.
The policy’s first reading and advertisement is set for this month, with formal adoption planned for May 19.
Board members said it’s important to have such a policy in place, particularly with the proposed high school development expected to come in the next few years.
“Plus, we’re in this day and age where sponsorship is pretty big,” board member Stratton Nash said on April 9. “Considering we have a new high school, new gymnasium; there may be opportunities that we’re approached on regarding sponsorship. … We just want to make sure that we’re ready.”
Among the facilities eligible for naming rights are auditoriums/theaters, gymnasiums, libraries, gardens or walkways, athletic fields and facilities, concessions and locker rooms, classrooms and laboratories, hallways and large group instruction rooms.
The policy states naming rights would be granted in return for financial contributions, sponsorships or commercial transactions including money, equipment services or other valuable resources to the district.
No financial figures were outlined in the policy.
“We don’t have actual prices on things right now,” Assistant Superintendent Andrew Surloff said.
Naming rights agreements must be approved by the school board.
Naming rights will not be granted to entities or activities that involve the following:
• Tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs or weapons.
• Obscene or sexually explicit language.
• Violation of laws or district policies.
• Promote or oppose religious or political organizations.
• The enforcement of candidates for elected office or ballot measures.
• Promote actions that conflict with the district’s values or legal standards.
“I think that there are certain things that are standard fare in a policy relating to children and things of that nature,” said Gianni Floro, school board member and facilities and operations committee chair, about the restrictions. “I think it’s more than appropriate to have something like that in a policy.”
Floro said he is focused on the safety and efficiency of district facilities and has no preferences as to what room or area gets named.
The policy also separates sponsorships from naming rights. Part of those sections state names and/or logos that appear on district equipment or equipment located on district facilities in exchange for financial contributions shall be considered sponsorships. Sponsorships must also come with a written agreement and be approved by the school board.
Surloff said he is unaware of any formal naming rights agreement during his 27 years at Quaker Valley.
However, the district has named things for people before, namely Chuck Knox Stadium in Leetsdale.
The high school stadium is named in honor of the late Sewickley native and former NFL head coach who led the Los Angeles Rams to five NFC West titles.
Knox was named NFL Coach of the Year in 1973, 1980 and 1984 and was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. The Quaker Valley grad died on May 12, 2018, at the age of 86.
The stadium’s name was established many years before his passing.
“As long as I can remember, at least back to 1972, I’ve always known that as Chuck Knox Stadium,” Floro said. “It was moved from the middle school to the high school.”
The new policy would allow the stadium name to be changed three years after the policy adoption.
The Quaker Valley Recreation Association leases district property in Bell Acres that it calls James P. Bouchard Family Park, named after the founder and retired chief executive officer of Esmark.
Surloff said QVRA did not get district permission for the naming rights.
The proposed policy grandfathers the name of the field under the current lease agreement.
However, any name change during or after the lease would have to come before the school board for approval.
In no case can a naming rights agreement be longer than a lease, according to the policy.
QVRA has about 34 years left on its 50-year lease of the property.
“If somebody who leases property like QVRA has put things in place, we’re not looking to disrupt or terminate those (agreements),” Surloff said. “What we’re saying is, ‘If you want to re-up them or do something different or have something new; that now all has to flow through the school board.”
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The policy is available for review on the district’s website via boarddocs.