The Carroll County School Board?s decision to use advertising banners to raise money has been postponed so officials have more time to research the issue.
“It?s really to get more input from the community,” said Superintendent Charles Ecker.
The board is expected to revisit the issue in March, not December, he said.
The proposal, which would allow high school booster programs to sell banners to hang in the school stadiums as a fundraiser, would go into effect next July, Ecker said. The committee that is expected to review the issue has not met, he said.
“We?re not sure how it?s going to go,” Ecker said. “We did receive a lot of e-mails that supported it, and some that were against it.”
David Horne, president of the Athletic Booster at Winters Mill High School in Westminster, said he supports the idea.
“I think we would find a balance,” Horne said. “As the parents, we have the opportunity to choose who we are soliciting.”
However, Horne said he would rather the issue be well-researched before making a decision.
“I?d rather them be deliberate and get it right,” he said.
School Board Member Cynthia Foley has raised concerns about where the school system should draw the line on advertising.
The banners would be sold for $500 or $1,000, Foley said.
Pilot programs have been held at Francis Scott Key and Century high schools.
School Board Member Gary Bauer said the banners weren?t glaring advertisements and had more information about the school than the sponsors.
“I didn?t have any problem with it,” he said, adding that he was ready to vote on the proposal.
