Rock ‘n’ Roll Revenue: The Cleveland City Council has voted to give all proceeds from a 6 percent tax on admission to a proposed Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame to the city’s public schools. But the schools have to give a little to get a little. Under the proposed financing plan for the museum, some $11.5 million in property taxes over 20 years will be diverted from the schools for the project. The admission tax is expected to generate some $400,000 a year.
Advertising Kiosks: In search of new money for its cash-strapped schools, DeKalb County, Ga., has agreed to permit a new form of in-school advertising aimed at students--pay phones connected to electronic message screens. These telephone kiosks, to be located in junior and senior high schools, will show a continuous loop of five-second ads. The district could receive as much as $300,000 a year in return.
More On Condoms: The Massachusetts State Board of Education last month became the first in the nation to encourage school districts to adopt a condom-distribution policy for high school students. The policy recommends that local school boards--in consultation with educators, parents, and students-- consider making condoms available in high schools.
Not So Fast: A unique property-tax abatement scheme that enabled homeowners in Epsom, N.H., to underwrite their children’s private school education has been declared illegal. A superior court judge ruled that town officials had overstepped their statutory authority when they granted $1,000 abatements to property owners who paid a secondary student’s tuition at either a religious or secular private school. The town selectmen plan to appeal.
