Playing Smart changelabsolutions.org | kaboom.org 9 National Support for Joint Use Agreements Community use of public school facilities and grounds is as old as public education itself. Schools have historically been the site for all kinds of community events and public meetings. There is typically an assumption that communities can get access to their schools, especially outside of regular school hours. Nationally recognized authorities – such as the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity,17 the American Academy of Pediatrics,18 and the Institute of Medicine19 – have recommended joint use of school facilities as a strategy to increase physical activity opportunities in underserved communities. Child health and physical activity advocates are not alone in their support for joint use. In the 2000 report Schools as Centers of Community: A Citizen’s Guide for Planning and Design, the U.S. Department of Education recommends joint use as an important strategy in its school design principles.20 Building Educational Success Together (BEST), a national collaborative of educational equity and school facility advocates, promotes joint use in its model policies to support high-performing schools.21 The community school movement, aimed at bringing providers of student health and other support services into school buildings, applies the joint use concept.22 Urban planners and community developers have also advocated for joint use schools, particularly those connected to the smart growth movement.23 The National Trust for Historic Preservation recommends joint use in establishing schools as centers of communities.24 All of these perspectives point to the potential for multiple benefits of joint use – improving educational outcomes, increasing community amenities and physical activity, using public resources more efficiently, and more.25 A few states, including North Carolina,26 Maryland,27 and California, also have promoted joint use. In recent statewide school construction bonds, California has created a pot of capital funds for building or renovating school facilities to support joint use. Additionally, both the California Department of Education and the Division of the State Architect encourage joint use in their state agency documents.28 However, no state appears to Joint use partnerships are not simple to implement, and they must be thoughtfully crafted. Even the seemingly straightforward act of unlocking school playgrounds on weekends takes time, money, administrative oversight, and political support.
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