Names could be worth a lot to the School District

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Thursday, Feb. 16, 2006 | 12:34 p.m.

What's in a name? The Clark County School District hopes the answer is "plenty of cash."

A plan is under way to allow private donors - corporations and individuals - to name classrooms, laboratories and even buildings in exchange for sizable contributions.

The first test of the plan would be the new KLVX Channel 10 broadcasting complex, a $67 million project scheduled to begin construction later this spring. The School Board holds the station's broadcast license.

Under a proposed regulation that will require School Board approval, naming rights can be offered for district edifices that are at least 30 percent paid for by private donors. If that threshold is met, the individual donors would then have an opportunity to contribute more money for the naming rights.

The Channel 10 project already has several "sizable" donations, including from MGM Mirage, Wells Fargo Bank and the Sims Family Foundation, said Tom Axtell, general manager of the station.

So far about $59 million in public and private funds have been committed. That includes $15 million from the district, which also donated land on Pecos-McLeod valued at more than $3 million.

The naming policy could also cover the proposed career and technical education high schools, said Joyce Haldeman, executive director of community and government relations for the district.

Haldeman, who serves as liaison to the committee that makes school name recommendations to the School Board, said, "This is a departure from business as usual for us."

Because the schools would be divided up by career and technical education fields, there would be numerous opportunities for sponsorship, Haldeman said.

"This is a chance to provide our students with cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art systems that are right up to the latest techniques," Haldeman said.

Current district regulations call for elementary and middle school campuses to be named after community leaders, educators and pioneers. High schools are named after geographic features rather than individuals. Several exceptions have been made, including Liberty High School, which commemorates the events of Sept. 11.

In the past the School Board has shunned attempts to influence the name selection process with contributions. Last year, when the district was in the process of buying its new administrative building at 5100 W. Sahara Ave., the prior owner offered to reduce the sale price in exchange for having a school named after his late son. The district demurred.

Haldeman said "there's a clear difference" between the West Sahara purchase and the proposed new policy.

"These are people and organizations that will provide materials, equipment or funding for related curriculum," Haldeman said. "There is a direct benefit to our students that supports the specialized education they will be receiving."

School Board member Susan Brager-Wellman said she wouldn't be opposed to offering limited naming rights opportunities to donors in specific circumstances, including Channel 10.

"However, we would have to have parameters to ensure that these were upstanding businesses with established records of caring about education," Brager-Wellman said. "We are a school district; it would have to be in line with our commitment to our students."

Brager-Wellman said she would also want assurances that the names of the schools themselves not be put up for sale.

"There are some wonderful people out there who deserve to have schools named for them, and money is not a factor," Brager-Wellman said. "Money can't buy everything. It can't buy integrity, and it can't buy respect."

Emily Richmond can be reached at 259-8829 or at emily@lasvegassun.com.