The Board of Education believes that corporate involvement in the school and library systems can be a positive and welcome contribution to public education and library services. Business-education and business–library partnerships based on sound principles can contribute to high quality education and library services. However, in the case of schools, compulsory attendance confers an obligation to protect the welfare of all students as well as the integrity of the learning environment. And in the case of the public libraries, it is important to maintain the unaligned, democratic nature of publicly funded institutions.

When considering corporate opportunities, schools, districts, and libraries shall focus on their educational mission and engage in decision-making practices that facilitate, in the case of schools, student attainment of the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards, and in the case of libraries, the open and unbiased provision of services and access to information.

Positive business-education and business-library partnerships, in order to be ethical, should be structured in accordance with the following principles:
(1) Corporate involvement shall support the educational mission, goals and objectives of the schools and libraries;

(2) Programs of corporate involvement shall be structured to meet an educational or instructional need identified by the school, district, or library system, not a commercial motive, and shall be evaluated for effectiveness by the Department of Education or the Hawaii State Public Library System, as appropriate;

(3) Schools, educators, and library staff shall hold sponsored or donated materials to the same standards used for selection and purchase of curriculum or library materials;

(4) Corporate programs and materials shall be used at the discretion of the schools or libraries;

(5) Selling or providing access to a captive audience in the classroom or library for commercial purposes is prohibited;

(6) Corporate involvement shall not require students or library patrons to observe, listen to or read commercial advertising;

(7) Selling or providing free access to advertising on school or library property is prohibited, except for approved school or library fundraisers or activities; and

(8) Corporate logos are permissible for sponsor recognition.

Approved: 11/01; Revised: 12/07