Langhorne (Pennsylvania): Forget magazine drives and candy sales. A cash-strapped high school near Philadelphia hopes to raise money by auctioning itself on eBay.
The starting bid of just under $600,000 for Learning Center in Langhorne, Pa., is designed to offset steep budget cuts. A tongue-in-cheek listing describes the alternative school for at-risk teens as "pre-owned" and "slightly used."The winner won't own the facility, which is part of the Neshaminy School District. But he or she will get a plethora of goodies, including a naming opportunity, a free large pizza, a personalized school coffee mug and the chance to deliver a speech at graduation
Learning Center Principal JoAnn Holland says she hopes the auction idea will draw the attention of a wealthy benefactor. Bidding ends Wednesday.
"I know it's crazy," Holland said in a statement. "But with the good The Learning Center does, it's crazier not to do it."
The idea came from recent graduate Casey Young, who knows a bit about unusual auctions: His dad, a writer, tried to sell their family on eBay in 2003. The ad was eventually yanked because the company prohibits selling human beings, but the stunt received a lot of publicity.
"We did it as a lark," father Steve Young told The Associated Press on Monday. "Casey seems to have turned this into something that will result in something positive."
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