While the Santa Rosa School Board on Wednesday night directed staff to move forward with checking out different proposals to initiate its almost year-old corporate sponsorship and naming rights policy, different opinions emerged on just how that should look in reality.

Board president Bill Carle said he would not vote for any contract that pays the coordinating firm with a flat fee. He’ll back commission only.

 “I would not be in favor unless it was entirely commission based,” he said. “We don’t have the money upfront to pay anybody to do an asset analysis or do any work associated with it.”

Trustee Laura Gonzalez (the only board member to vote against the policy when it was adopted back in September) agreed.

But some debate could arise at future meetings when the actual decisions about names, and what those names are affixed to, come before the board.

Board member Larry Haenel said he would support the idea of the Food Channel getting a logo on culinary students’ chef jackets, he was less likely to support renaming entire buildings.

“I don’t want to rename a gymnasium Redwood Credit Union Gymnasium,” he said.

Trustee Frank Pugh said if a gym floor needs refinishing and a company foots the bill, he would be open to their getting credit on the hardwood. He mentioned the new Santa Rosa Middle School marquee at on the corner of College Avenue and Brookwood/North that features a sponsor’s name prominently.

No complaints have been logged over that, he said.

But Pugh urged the board to use caution with all ads.

“We have to remember that there are those in the corporate world who would like to have that captive audience of teenagers (who) actually spend a lot of money. We have to be careful of that,” he said.

Any ad campaign or renaming move has to “not interfere with curriculum, not indoctrinate kids, not create unfair competition. We have to be very careful of that idea.”

Even with all that, Gonzalez said her expectations are fairly low in terms of what any naming rights will bring in to the district’s coffers.

“I’m just doubtful this is a cash cow,” she said.