ST. LOUIS BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULATION

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC

Media of Communication

Advertising in Yearbooks and Newspapers

The following regulations apply with respect to advertising in yearbooks, newspapers, and similar publications in the elementary and secondary schools.

A. Yearbooks

1. Students may solicit advertising revenue without regard to school boundaries, the size of the prospective advertisers' business or organization, or the nature of the prospective advertisers' legitimate business. Students may not solicit from businesses engaged in illegal or unlawful activities. The Board of Education reserves the right to regulate and limit the content of advertisements to fit the needs of the public school environment.

2. The principal of the school shall judge the appropriateness of advertisements for school publications; if necessary, the principal will refer questions to the director of the office of public information for recommendations. The final decision, however, rests with the principal.

3. The school principal, as the agent of the board, shall be guided by the following limitations in approving advertisements for publication in school-sponsored publications:

a. Advertisements that promote alcoholic beverages or ' tobacco products by wording, pictures, or otherwise will not be published, but contributory notes in the form of “Compliments of ...” can be included.

4. No advertisements that promote, by wording, pictures, or otherwise, products or services describing or relating to sexually-oriented conduct or bodily functions will be published.

a. No advertisements that promote obscene films, plays, TV programs, literature, or other materials will be published. For the purpose of this regulation an advertisement is obscene if (1) the average person applying contemporary community standards would find that the advertisement, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest of minors of the age to whom distribution is requested; and (2) the advertisement depicts or describes hard core sexual conduct in a manner that is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community concerning how such conduct should be presented to minors of the age to whom distribution is requested; and (3) the advertisement, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors of the age to whom distribution is requested. The school principal is the best person to apply contemporary community standards and determine whether the advertisement is obscene.

b. Since the available space for advertisements limits the equal promotional opportunities for all of those with opposing views, advertisements that promote by wording, pictures, or otherwise, employee organizations, political organizations, political candidates, or political views will not be published. Contributory notes in the form of “Compliments of ...” can be included.

c. Advertisements that promote, by wording, pictures, or otherwise, taverns and gambling establishments will not be published, but contributory notes in the form of “Compliments of...” can be included.

d. Advertisements that promote, by wording, pictures, or otherwise, religious groups, religious interests, or religious activities will not be published. Contributory notes in the form of "Compliments of..." can be included.

e. Advertising rates shall be standardized for yearbooks. The rates will be reviewed and standardized on an annual basis by the office of public information.

5. The number of pages of advertising shall not exceed twenty percent of the total pages per yearbook.

6. Implementation of these regulations shall be accomplished according to the following additional regulations:

a. The office of the appropriate assistant superintendent will explore the feasibility of developing orientation workshops, mini-courses, or other channels that train students involved in high school publications, in advertising production, and sales techniques.

b. The high school principal shall designate a person to correlate business and advertising operations for the yearbooks.

c. In addition to the present responsibilities, the yearbook sponsor shall work with designated personnel in supervising and coordinating activities of students selling advertising.

d. The school’s book clerk treasurer, with the approval of the principal, shall establish a separate account for the yearbook to receive money from advertising sales in the local school community.

e. The office of public information will assist the school advisors as requested.

B. Newspapers

All guidelines established for the yearbook shall govern newspaper publication with the appropriate name/title substitution except as follows:

Rates: Establishment of rates should reflect the newspaper structure. (Example: Size of paper and number of editions per school year.)

Regulation approved: June 26, 1990

Revised: February 9, 1999