WALKER COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) - Many states throughout the country are now generating new revenue for education ... by selling ad space on school buses.
Looking for a dentist ... maybe a car dealership ... or even a reminder of your favorite fast food joint, you can find it on the side of a school bus these days.
Although you won't see them in Alabama just yet ... school buses are rolling through neighborhoods in *nine* different states branded with ads, and several more, including Florida, are currently considering bus-ad legislation. Sponsors estimate it could generate a hundred-million dollars state-wide.
The issue has some people at odds. The concern is that creating moving bill boards on buses might be too much of a distraction for drivers. Walker County School's Transportation Director Mike Scott says student safety is his priority. He's not sure if bus ad's are safe or appropriate for young students to be exposed to. However, he admits with a 25 percent statewide cut in education over the last three years, it is a creative way to make money.
