Verona Schools Seek Advertising Revenue

The New York Yankees are coming to Verona — at least virtually.

The Verona Board of Education unanimously approved a measure Tuesday night that will allow paid advertising to appear on its website as an alternative form of revenue.

The district will hire an advertising company to place ads on the site. If successful, the district may look into getting a sponsor for the Friday Folder email blast or even ads on the Verona High School football field.

The Yankees will hopefully be the first advertiser, Forte said Tuesday. Yankee pitcher CC Sabathia held a baseball clinic on Thursday, Aug. 2 at Verona High School that was attended at 300 children as part of The PlayStation CC Sabathia Baseball ProCamp.

“It's a different way of looking at things and hopefully we will bring in a few dollars,” said Verona Superintendent Steven Forte. “(The ads) are in locations that will not muddy up our website.”

Board of Education Member Glenn Elliott voiced concern about the size of the ads as well as the board's ability to approve them.

“I wasn’t real enthusiastic about this when it was first proposed and I'm still not,” said Elliott. “I feel that it's going to generate very little revenue.”

Forte explained the board wouldn’t know how much money it will make until they try.

“The goal is $50,000 but if we only bring in $5,000, then that’s $5,000 we didn't have before,” he said.

“The advertising company would handle getting the ads and then we would have the right to approve or refuse the ad,” said Forte. “Any revenue that is generated will come back to the schools and allow us to do things that we can’t do currently, such as improving our technology infrastructure.”

Click here to watch the entire meeting.