- What is joint use of recreational facilities?
- Answer: Joint use involves the school district or county office of education (COE) jointly sharing recreational facilities with another governmental agency, community-based organization or the community before, during and/or after the school day. Joint use practices vary from one district/COE to the next. In some cases, schools practice joint use by keeping their gates open and maintaining their school grounds for community use outside of school hours. In other cases, a district/COE may enter into a joint use agreement with a governmental agency (e.g. Parks and Recreation) to share responsibilities and keep school recreational facilities open for either unsupervised use or supervised physical activity programs.
- What are joint use agreements?
- Answer: Joint use agreements are binding contracts between the partners involved that clearly address the terms and conditions of each party sharing the facility. A formal joint use agreement is good practice, as the agreement helps ensure that all parties are clear about their roles and responsibilities, such as defining how Maintenance, operations and liability issues will be addressed and identifying how to support the sustainability of the joint use partnership.
- What are the advantages of joint use of recreational facilities?
- Answer: Joint use of facilities benefi ts students and the wider community by providing safe, accessible places for recreation before, during and/or after school hours. Increased opportunities for physical activity can improve students’ overall health and well-being, prevent obesity and improve academic performance (see the fact sheet, “Active Bodies, Active Minds” at www.CaliforniaProjectLEAN.org and www.csba.org). In a time of shrinking budgets, joint use of facilities provides an opportunity for school districts/COEs and local government agencies to work together to maximize resources, keep costs down and achieve shared goals.
- What is the role of the governing board?
- Answer: The governing board can set the district/COE direction for increasing physical activity opportunities for students through joint use by adopting policy (see the California School Boards Association’s (CSBA) sample policy BP 1330.1 – Joint Use Agreements). Under the California Civic Center Act, the governing board can allow for community use of school facilities (see CSBA sample policy BP 1330 – Use of School Facilities). A specific joint use policy can lay the foundation for joint use agreements and support joint use practices. The governing board can play an important role in promoting joint use policies and practices by: • Ensuring that joint use efforts support district/COE goals. • Establishing positive relationships with local stakeholders. • Sharing information about joint use with the community. • Holding district and school staff accountable for the terms outlined in the joint use agreement. • Assisting with monitoring and evaluation.
