JEFFERSON CITY School districts struggling to afford the cost of transporting students to and from school would have the option to tap into a new source of revenue under legislation sponsored by state Rep. Mike Kelley (R-Lamar). Kelleys bill (HB 1273), which was approved by the Missouri House of Representatives, would allow school districts to lease space both on the interior and exterior of school buses for private advertisements. The bill would require the State Board of Education to adopt policies for the advertisements and would prohibit ads that are inappropriate for children such as those featuring alcohol, gambling, tobacco or sexual material.

This is a move that several other states have made to help school districts that are struggling to make ends meet, said Kelley. At a time when our economy continues to be sluggish and the funding simply isnt where we would like it to be for education, this provides much-needed revenue source that could make a significant difference for many of our school districts.

Kelleys bill would require 50 percent of the revenue generated by the advertisements to be used for transportation costs. The remainder could be used at the districts discretion.

The bill now moves to the Missouri Senate for consideration.

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