Guidelines for Sponsors

ESC Region 11 has sole approval over which businesses/organizations it will accept as sponsors and advertisers.  The following general criteria are used to determine whether a potential sponsor will be approved:

1. Alcoholic Beverages. ESC Region 11 will not accept sponsorships from businesses soliciting or promoting the sale or use of alcoholic beverages;
2. Tobacco Products. ESC Region 11 will not accept sponsorships from businesses soliciting or promoting the sale or use of tobacco products, including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco;
3. Image or Operation. ESC Region 11 will not accept sponsorships from businesses that threaten or adversely affect the public image of ESC Region 11 or its ability to perform its public duties;
4. False, Misleading, Deceptive, or Disrespectful Messages. ESC Region 11 will not accept sponsorships from businesses that provide false, misleading, or deceptive information or that are intended to be (or reasonably could be interpreted as being) disparaging, disreputable or disrespectful to persons, groups, businesses, or organizations. This includes businesses that unlawfully discriminates based on race, color, creed, sex, pregnancy, age, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law;
5. Unauthorized Endorsement. ESC Region 11 will not accept sponsorships from businesses that imply or declare without authorization that ESC Region 11 endorses a product, service, point of­ view, event, or program. The prohibition against endorsement does not apply to advertising for a service, event, or program for which ESC Region 11 is an official sponsor, co-sponsor, or participant, provided ESC Region 11 gives its prior written approval regarding the endorsement;
6. Obscene or Offensive Material. ESC Region 11 will not accept sponsorships from businesses that promote obscene or offensive materials. "Obscene materials" means displays information that, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interests in sex and depicts or describes, in a patently offensive manner, sexual conduct and which, taken as a whole, does not have serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value, or otherwise qualifies as "obscene" as that phrase is defined in Texas Penal Code §43.21. "Offensive materials" means displays or information that would be offensive to a reasonably prudent person of average sensitivity in the community, including advertising that contains derisive, distorted, immoral, profane, or disreputable language or impressions;
7. Unlawful Goods or Services. ESC Region 11 will not accept sponsorships from businesses that depict, promote, or reasonably appear to encourage the use or possession of unlawful or illegal goods or services;
8. Unlawful Conduct. ESC Region 11 will not accept sponsorships from businesses that depict, promote, or reasonably appear to encourage unlawful or illegal behavior or conduct, including unlawful behavior or violent or antisocial nature; is libelous or an infringement of copyright; is otherwise unlawful or illegal; is prohibited by a court order or government regulation, or is likely to subject School Organization to liability;
9. Adult Entertainment. ESC Region 11 will not accept sponsorships from businesses that promote or display images associated with adult bookstores, adult video stores, nude dance clubs, and other adult entertainment establishments, adult telephone services, adult internet sites, escort services, or any other sexually oriented business, as defined by Texas Local Government Code §243,002;
10. Illegal Firearms and Weapons. ESC Region 11 will not accept sponsorships from businesses that promote the unlawful use of firearms or other weapons;
11. Political Advertising. ESC Region 11 will not accept sponsorships from businesses related to political candidates or political issues; and
12. Competing Services. ESC Region 11 will not accept sponsorships from businesses that compete against ESC Region 11 or have products or services that compete with those products and services offered by ESC Region 11.
13. TEKS-Aligned Curriculum. Per House Bill 462 from the 83rd Texas Legislative Session, ESC Region 11 does not promote or participate in the Common Core Initiative. Services provided by ESC Region 11 are aligned with and designed to support the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) adopted by the State Board of Education.