School Board Selling Naming Rights To Public Art School

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston school board has voted to accept a $7.5 million gift for an arts school, marking the first time the district has sold naming rights to a public campus.

The Houston Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/2dPgF6Q ) the board's decision Thursday to accept the money and rename the school after the donors is a rarity in elementary and secondary education in the U.S.

Officials say the money will go toward rebuilding the school downtown. It will be called the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, named for billionaire couple Rich and Nancy Kinder.

Some board members criticized what they described as secretive negotiations and questioned the fairness to other district schools.

One member, Jolanda Jones, said the district acted like a "pimp" in selling rights to a school.