Wednesday, April 18, 2001
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Wednesday, April 18, 2001 |
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School system ponders possible Coca-Cola agreement The Fayette County School System is considering a proposal from Coca-Cola that could put more than $1 million in school coffers over a five-year period. Coca-Cola has offered to pay the school system in cash, product discounts, in-kind services and other noncash donations a total of $1.24 million over 60 months in exchange for being the exclusive soft drink beverage supplier for every school and group except school nutrition, according to school system purchasing and inventory management agent Fred Phillips. The proposal, which was negotiated by an internal committee consisting of Phillips, several school principals and Superintendent John DeCotis, was submitted to the Board of Education at Monday night's meeting. A vote was not taken, as some board members had questions about details of the proposal, and Phillips is now researching those issues. Coca-Cola has proposed giving a onetime educational support fund of $25,000 to each high school and $5,000 for each middle school. In addition to this money, those schools would receive monthly commissions on beverage sales through full-service vending machines. "With the restructuring of the partnership program, the educational support fund will take the place of the existing principals' funds," according to a written statement from Coca-Cola. Educational support funds for elementary schools would be based on the addition of 12 oz. noncarbonated vendors in the schools. For each placement, the school will receive a one time bonus of $250, up to $500, as long as these placements are student-accessible throughout the school day. Monthly commissions payments from vending machine beverage sales would range from $4 per case of 12 oz. carbonated cans and DASANI water or Fruitopia bottles (24 per case) to $4.40 per case for 20 oz. Fruitopia and POWERaDE bottles and 16 oz. Minute Maid bottles, and $11.10 per case for 20 oz. carbonated or DASANI water bottles. Coca-Cola representatives stated that the company has produced an average of $40,000 worth of score boards, including installation, for each middle school and high school in recent years, along with providing score boards for elementary schools on an as-needed basis. This service would continue throughout the company's partnership with the school system, they added. A number of academic awards are furnished by Coca-Cola regionally and nationwide, such as scholarships from the Share the Dream Essay Contest which promotes Black History Month. Locally, the company proposes providing a plaque for each school's Teacher of the Year and also sponsoring the county's Teacher of the Year award. In connection with placement of its DASANI water, Coca-Cola has offered to furnish elementary schools with educational software in a variety of subjects. The company also proposes access to customized scholarship information on the Internet and resume workshops for high school students. A number of conditions are outlined in the proposed agreement, mainly that the school system would give Coca-Cola total exclusivity in each school except for the cafeterias, and concessions in athletic venues would be Coca-Cola products as well. Each school would also conduct at least one truckload sale fund-raiser.
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