Cell Towers At Schools: Godsend Or God-Awful?
School districts are making deals with telecom companies to build towers on school property. The agreements give schools a bump in revenue, but what do parents think? And what does the science say?
School districts — hard up for cash — are turning to an unlikely source of revenue: cell towers. The multistory metal giants are cropping up on school grounds in Chicago, Milpitas, Calif., Collier County, Fla. and many other places across the country.
The big reason: money. As education budgets dwindle, districts are forming partnerships with telecom companies to allow use of their land in exchange for some of the profits.
Last year, for example, cell towers on seven school sites generated $112,139 in revenue for the schools in Prince George's
