Playing Smart changelabsolutions.org | kaboom.org 64 Risk Management Engaging in sound risk management practices is another way for school districts to mitigate liability concerns. All districts can engage in risk management by complying with health and safety laws designed to protect students, employees, and visitors; by ensuring that school buildings and grounds are maintained in a safe condition; and by carefully supervising and protecting school grounds, facilities, and equipment. Properly training and supervising employees is also a risk management strategy. Many school districts have formal risk management programs in place to analyze and mitigate their exposure to risk. These precautions are helpful in minimizing the risk involved with use both after school hours and during the school day. It’s important for everyone involved to agree about who will be responsible for what functions (costs, staffing, maintenance, and so on), and who will pay for each of these functions. In Paradise City, for example, parties could start by inspecting the proposed facilities together to document and establish a common understanding of the baseline condition of the facilities. If community members are going to be using Paradise High’s fields, the fields need to be kept safe, and maintenance must be regularly scheduled. If the school district is better situated to maintain the fields itself with its personnel, Parks and Rec can agree to fund the maintenance. Establishing a communication protocol is also critical for addressing issues as they come up. For instance, in Paradise City, if Fit to Play staff notice a dangerous condition on the property while they are operating an afterschool program, they need to know whom to notify at the school. Each party can designate a contact person, and the parties can agree to meet quarterly to discuss issues that have surfaced. The school district’s risk manager can be a resource for information and suggestions. Overcoming the Liability Hurdle In working to make joint use a reality, advocates should approach the situation from a cost-benefit perspective. There are costs and risks associated with everything schools do. When a school puts kids on a bus and sends them to an away basketball game, there are direct costs associated with that (transportation, staffing) and risks (damage to school property or injury to students). But schools take on these activities because they have determined that the benefits to the children – building team spirit and camaraderie among students, teaching sports etiquette – outweigh the risks. Similarly, creating opportunities for exercise can increase students’ ability to focus, participate, and perform in school, and can generally improve the community’s health.
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