Wheels on the bus | Best version on youtube

School buses, a practical necessity for countless children, are at the midst of new efforts to increase revenue. Wheels on the bus bring public health and commercialization concerns to the school setting. In doing consequently, they potentially expose classes districts to First Amendment lawsuits.



I examined different school bus advertising expenses and laws. I reviewed First Amendment “forum analysis” as applied from the transit and school options to clarify how this particular legal test may affect school districts susceptible to such laws.

I have made recommendations for school districts to enact appropriate policies to make certain such advertising does not undermine public health and to enable the districts to maintain control over their property.

School buses, a practical necessity pertaining to millions of children nationally, are increasingly at the biggest market of controversial efforts to boost revenue for distressed open public school districts. Commercialization on the school setting is not new, 1, 2 and school buses have been the subject of contentious marketing strategies in past times. 3 New school coach advertising bills and laws and regulations have brought commercialization concerns back to the forefront, and might have unwittingly exposed school areas to First Amendment cases.

School bus advertising is intended to generate revenue for that state, usually for school-related requires. 4, 5 In expresses with enacted laws, earnings are reportedly modest. 6 However, supporters believe any degree of income is meaningful, 6 and possess called bus advertisers “local heroes” for purchasing schools. 7 Not almost all public officials and parents agree. 6 Bills are voted down over basic safety concerns and disagreement with all the commercialization of the institution setting. 8



In supplement to raising concerns regarding safety and commercial exploitation, such proposed state legislation could possibly be unintentionally setting up school districts to become the target of 1st Amendment lawsuits. 9 Public school buses are government property like public transportation and university campuses. When they get opened their facilities to help advertisers, public transit authorities are regularly forced to fend of First Amendment lawsuits, 10–14 and open school districts have faced similar legal challenges. 15, 16 School buses may represent the following frontier of litigation around permissible speech on authorities property. School districts generally desire to maintain control over what can be displayed on the inner and exterior of classes buses. Therefore, an comprehension of First Amendment jurisprudence linked to government property and from the applicable legal test, forum analysis, are essential. 17

I examined various planned and enacted school shuttle advertising bills and regulations. I also reviewed Primary Amendment forum analysis as applied inside the public transit and general public school settings to make clear how this body of law may affect school districts subject to school bus advertising regulations. I have made recommendations for school districts to enact appropriate policies to help keep control over their property and avoid litigation.