Online Advertising Expands to More District 196 Websites

Eagan High School was the first school in District 196 to advertise on its school website, and now Rosemount High School is looking into it, a school official said.

Tony Taschner, communications specialist for Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan public schools, made a presentation at a school board retreat in July about advertising on district websites. The board this last school year to generate new revenue.

The district's agreement with School Space Media stipulated that it will give the district a 23 percent revenue share on all net proceeds from advertising, with a guaranteed $40,000 payment up front. Apple Valley, Eagan, Eastview and Rosemount high schools each will get $10,000 from the deal for their budgets, and will split any revenue evenly, at 25 percent each.

Generally, advertisements were slated for public event spaces, like theaters and in athletic facilities.

For online ads, each school is responsible for advertising on its own website, Taschner said, but companies or people also can buy sponsorships on the district website. Sponsorships are available for $1,000, $1,250 and $1,500, Taschner said.

Depending how much a person or company pays, an ad would appear on the external website, internal district pages and superintendent news emails sent to parents, according to a district document.

Eagan High School made $6,000 from website advertising last year. Compared with the district’s approximate $300 million operating budget, that’s not a lot in earnings, Taschner said. But it’s still a new resource at a time when the schools are looking for new income, he said.

“We are trying to save money wherever we can,” Taschner said.

District 196 already has this year to cover a cashflow shortfall caused by state aid delays and a property tax shift, and it will need to borrow another $20 million to cover an anticipated shortfall created by more state aid delays called for in the state budget for the current biennium.