Proposed amendments to an existing state statute governing school buses would allow participating school districts to increase operating revenues by placing advertisements on the vehicles.

If passed, all revenue received from advertisement campaigns for edcuational materials placed on school buses would be deposited into the general fund or transportation vehicle fund at local school districts.

Senate Bill 6466 was introduced on Jan. 14 to assist school districts in obtaining additional revenue from school board-approved ads. The ads would only promote educational programs or materials and could not be placed on the front or rear of any school bus.

The bill would require the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to adopt and enforce rules regarding the placement and securing of advertising material on school buses. It would also direct the Washington State School Director's Association to develop a model policy and procedures regarding the content of ads. School district board of directors would be required to take into consideration this model policy and develop and approve its own policy. Meanwhile,

Based upon similar programs allowed by law in Arizona and Colorado, a fiscal review estimated that total ad revenues for school districts in Washington would be $175,000 in fiscal year 2011 to reflect the start up of the program. In fiscal years 2012 and 2013, the fiscal note estimated revenue to increase each year to $350,000. Revenue would climb to $500,000 for both the 2014 and 2015 fiscal years.

The additional revenue for school districts was estimated at 70 percent of the money that school districts in Arizona and Colorado have received combined. The total fleet for both Arizona and Colorado is 14,176 school buses compared to 10,060 buses in Washington.