On Monday, the Rio Rancho School Board voted to allow advertising on school buses to generate revenue for the district. While other districts have discussed the option, Rio Rancho schools are the first district statewide to implement the idea. The iconic orange school bus is set to get a new look in the next couple months. Officials say they have 80 buses for advertising and all together could earn up to $60,000 annually, but expect to earn half of that in year one. A Rio Rancho school district official says that ads for alcohol, tobacco and gambling will not be allowed and that overall, the idea hasn't caused too much opposition from parents. In fact, a parent transportation task force has been involved from the beginning. "I think it's a great idea," said parent Jennifer Sheffield. "I think it's a great opportunity for us to help the kids in our district. So we don't lose programs that otherwise might be lost." A local company is set to place advertising on the buses, and in turn, receive a share of the profits. With shrinking school budgets around the state, Rio Rancho leaders hope the idea catches on. For now, the way the state law is written ensures that some of the money generated from the new campaign will be distributed to each of the 88 school districts across the state for extracurricular activities at middle and junior high schools. Officials say a lot of businesses are interested in advertising on school buses because the City of Rio Rancho doesn't allow billboards.
