POTTSTOWN PA – Mishock Physical Therapy and Associates LLC, a physical rehabilitation medical practice with offices in Gilbertsville, Barto, and Skippack PA, again this year is paying $6,000 to the Pottsgrove School District for the privilege of having its name be seen by the public in and around school buildings.

The Falcons played basketball against Perkiomen Valley last season in what was then the newly named "Tri County Area Federal Credit Union Gymnasium" in Pottsgrove High School on Kauffman Road, Pottstown PA.

More sponsorship deals are expected, the Board of School Directors learned last week. A similar agreement is pending with a local affiliate of propane gas supplier Amerigas, according to Superintendent Dr. Bradley Landis, and there may be as many as three others to come, he added.

Board members unanimously and without comment voted Tuesday (Aug. 24, 2010) to extend Mishock’s sponsorship agreement for the 2010-2011 school year. For their money, practice owner Dr. John Mishock and other sponsors receive the district’s blessing to post banners and other forms of promotion at various events and sports venues.

Back in May 2009 the board initially accepted Mishock’s three-year sponsorship of two 5-foot by 40-foot windscreens on the tennis court fencing behind Pottsgrove High School, as well as another three-year agreement that put a 4-foot by 12-foot sign promoting HCR Manor Care on the bottom of the football stadium scoreboard. Their combined, three-year revenue amounts to $36,000.

In addition, Tri County Area Federal Credit Union – with offices on Medical Drive in Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township – in December 2009 paid the district for the ability to name the Kauffman Road high school gymnasium for itself and to offer financial services from inside a high school branch office.

The district isn’t doing the selling for sponsorships. Instead, those chores are handled by Lancaster PA-based Market Street Sports Group, which earlier this month gained national recognition in finding “alternate streams of revenue” for Pottsgrove and nine other districts that are its clients.

Market Street was featured Aug. 6 in a story by MSNBC.com reporter Alex Johnson titled “Branded! Public schools court corporate sponsors.”

“According to brochures it distributes to businesses in Central Pennsylvania, Market Street can negotiate ‘sponsorship opportunities’ for almost anything with a physical presence on campus — libraries, administration buildings, cafeterias, conference rooms, guidance offices, nurse’s offices, art rooms, photo labs, band rooms and chorus spaces,” Johnson wrote.

The company earns a commission of about 30 percent of revenue for its efforts, the story reported. At that rate, $10,800 of the $36,000 Pottsgrove receives over three years from Mishock and HCR Manor Care would be paid to Market Street.

One of Market Street’s first and most prominent clients thinks sponsorships have benefits beyond the money, though.

The superintendent of the Hempfield School District in Landisville PA, Brenda J. Becker, told reporter Johnson her district “really developed partnerships with the companies or entities that have become sponsors of us. We have found that these partners are doing a lot of great things for our kids — a lot more than simply the financial,” including creating scholarships and student awards and helping with general fund-raising.

Related (to the Pottsgrove Board of School Directors’ meeting of Aug. 24):

• School District Extends Cash-Raising Sponsorship Deal
• Pottsgrove District Names, Pays More Coaches
• Coming Soon: Opt-In List For Pottsgrove E-Mails
• After Month’s Work, Pius Deemed Set For Ringing Pupils
• Pottsgrove School Board To Meet; Coaches OK’d Earlier

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