School Board Responds to Bus Ad Controversy

Advertisements for Treasurer Nelson Hersh’s were present inside 15 district buses for more than four years.

At Monday's school board meeting, the board collectively reiterated that it was not aware that ads appeared on buses from spring 2007 until they were taken down in August after school board candidate informed the board of the ads at its Aug. 30 meeting.

The board took no action to internally investigate the allegations, which West Bloomfield School District Superintendent JoAnn Andrees called "a nonissue," according to an Oct. 23 follow-up article in The Oakland Press, which broke the story Oct. 18.

Finkelstein expressed outrage at , during which she was the lone public commenter. "I objected to advertising in front of our children (at the Aug. 30 meeting)... at that time, I honestly had no idea that I had just scratched the surface of the bus advertising issue," she said. "It is difficult to believe that no one knew the ads were on those buses for four years … a prompt, thorough, public investigation is in order."

Background on the subject

Board Vice President Bruce Tobin said at Monday's meeting that when a contract with Pennsylvania-based advertising agency InSight Media was first approved in early 2007 to place advertising in school buses, the district's finances were undergoing trying times. Tobin added that the idea for in-bus advertising was previously vetted as part of a "community effort" to glean ideas on increasing revenue to the district.

The Press reported that under the agreement, the school district would receive 40 percent of all media dollars generated without any specific responsibilities other than “leasing” the bus space.

However, Tobin said that the district would also vet possible advertisers with the community and did reject a national account dealing in products deemed inappropriate to advertise to school-age children. The only acceptable advertiser was Hersh's orthodontist practice, according to Tobin.

Tobin said advertisements were placed on 15 of the district's then-100 buses in spring 2007 before a question of legality regarding in-bus advertising was brought forth in a letter by the Michigan State Police (MSP). The Press reported that the ads were removed in late spring 2007 before MSP wrote another letter indicating that the ads were not illegal.

The Press reported that the ads were placed back on the buses in June 2007. Hersh was not charged for advertising and said he did not know that ads were placed back on buses.

Tobin said that after the initial letter with concern to the possible illegality of the advertising, the board thought the contract was dissolved.

"Shame on us for not communicating with the (district) Transportation Department and our administration," he said. "The Transportation Department apparently didn't hear that the ads were to be taken down ... so be it, it was taken down immediately when it was brought to our attention."

The Press reported that Hersh felt he may have been invoiced for as much as $300, but that he couldn't remember how much exactly.

Board members react to comment

Without mentioning Finkelstein by name, Hersh indicated Monday at the meeting that he felt unfairly persecuted and that the allegations were a smear tactic. who will be defending his seat on the board in the election Nov. 8; Trustee Melanie Torbert will not run. Hersh gave the district a personal check for what he felt he may have owed.

"My integrity has been challenged, and I resent it," Hersh said. "If anyone would think that I would cheat the district out of a hundred dollars or even a thousand dollars with all that I've paid to the district, they're crazy."

Tobin defended Hersh as a person and a board member, citing numerous financial contributions that he made to the district over Hersh's tenure on the board and suggesting that the issue was overhyped.

"Just a very active parent, a very generous contributor," Tobin said of Hersh. "To suggest that he was involved in putting 15 signs up in buses so that he could save a couple hundred dollars, I find incredible. ... I don't think this is the kind of thing that should be up in lights, in articles in newspapers."

Without mentioning Finkelstein's name, Trustee Matt Chase sided with her with respect to the belief that Hersh may have known about the advertising. "That this administration ... had no knowledge that something would be on the buses, to find that there was something there after four years, is a little hard for me to believe. I definitely think it's worth something a little further discussion internally for us," Chase said.

Torbert suggested that further discussions of financial matters involving the district entering into contracts with outside entities should be in a public setting.

"It's always in our best interests that we do have that public conversation about any business dealings we have in the district. I apologize, because there was some sloppiness on our part," Torbert said. "We're getting a better understanding of all the things that have gone wrong in terms of our decision-making. Let's use this as a learning opportunity, just as we would do with anything else and tell our kids to do."