The Fairfax County School Board directed staff on Tuesday, Sept. 8, to explore selling corporate naming rights at South Lakes and all 25 other district high schools.

At a work session, board members asked county staff to gather interest from the business community, FFXnow reported. The proposal would cover fields, stadiums, scoreboards and concession stands. Libraries and other spaces students use daily would be off-limits.

No plan has been approved. A majority of the board did not signal it would vote to sell naming rights, but most members said they were open to learning more.

The discussion adds a revenue angle to a budget picture that is already grim. Officials expect fiscal year 2028 cuts to approach the $153.9 million level cut in FY 2026, according to a Sept. 8 presentation by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Chief Financial Officer Leigh Burden. We reported on those projections Sept. 14.

Tom Horn, FCPS director of student activities and athletics, presented a framework for corporate partnerships. Sporting events at the county's 26 high schools draw more than 1 million spectators a year, he said. Ticket revenue ranges from $50,000 to $200,000 per school annually.

At-large member Kyle McDaniel and Mount Vernon District representative Mateo Dunne first raised the idea in March to help offset rising maintenance costs. McDaniel said the region's corporations are "great corporate partners" worth approaching.

Board members warned against going too far. Mason District representative Ricardy Anderson said revenue must be shared across schools, not concentrated where booster clubs are strongest.

"I would not want our schools to become like the back of a soccer jersey – just sponsored by everybody under the sun," Anderson said.

At-large representative Ilryong Moon, who has served on the board off and on since 1995, said the idea has come up before. Members have never agreed on how to distribute the money, he said.

Horn proposed pooling revenue division-wide, requiring morals clauses in contracts and capping the number of nameable assets. FCPS courts, fields and athletic complexes already carry honorarium names, and any framework would need to accommodate them.

Staff suggested adopting a formal policy in February 2027 and pursuing sponsorships the following fall. Superintendent Michelle Reid is scheduled to deliver a fiscal forecast in November and propose a budget in January.