Should D.C. Public Schools Have Corporate Sponsors?

WASHINGTON - Corporate bidding wars for the naming rights to sports venues like the Verizon Center and FedEx Field are nothing new.

But if some lawmakers have their way, you could be seeing local high schools getting into the game.

In Texas, high schools have raised millions by selling the naming rights for their football fields.

In California, corporate sponsors like Nike and Pepsi shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars to get their names on events such as high school championship games.

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty sees sponsorship as an opportunity.

"I think it's a good thing. I think there should be public-private partnerships in schools," Fenty says. "I don't think the government should just try and do everything themselves."

D.C. City Council Chairman Vince Gray has floated the idea as a way of getting much-needed funds for D.C. Public Schools.

There is no word on how the sponsorships would work, but some parents are concerned about advertising creeping into the classrooms.

"I think there's a way to do it and make sure that you're keeping a separation from donors who support schools and athletic facilities from some who are just looking for benefits from the government," Fenty says.

(Copyright 2007 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)