EXAMPLES A Place to Play: A Shared Use Agreement LEMON GROVE, CA In 2012, after a budget shortfall forced the City of Lemon Grove, California, to close its recreation department, a community coalition increased public access to school grounds by modifying an existing agreement between the city and the local school district. They worked with the city manager and the superintendent of schools to develop a new shared use agreement that allows public use of a local middle school’s facilities for informal play and exercise on Saturdays from dawn to dusk. School district staff open the gates and pick up trash in the morning, and city public works staff clean up and close the gates in the evening. Open Use Policy Pioneers HAMILTON COUNTY, TN Many residents of Hamilton County, Tennessee, live closer to a public school than a park. But until recently, most of the county’s schools were fenced off, with “No Trespassing” signs at the gates. In 2014, with input from the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department, the school board passed an open use policy that allows community access to the district’s elementary schools on weekends and holidays. The Health Department partnered with a local foundation to take down the “No Trespassing” signs and put up signs that promote open use. The partners are also working to add amenities like community gardens, picnic pavilions, and basketball courts to the school grounds. State School Boards Associations Support Open Use Policies NORTH CAROLINA & SOUTH CAROLINA In many states, school districts rely on their state school board associations for policy guidance in the form of model school district policies and administrative regulations. Including an open use policy in a school board association’s suite of model policies can help alleviate school district concerns and increase likelihood of adoption. The school boards associations in North Carolina21 and South Carolina22 have done just this. State and local health departments, along with community partners, have been able to effectively promote open use policies by pointing to the support of their state school boards associations. KEY RESOURCES QQ Playing Smart: Maximizing the Potential of School and Community Property Through Joint Use Agreements QQ Checklist for Developing a Joint Use Agreement QQ Model Joint Use Agreements QQ Shared Use Agreements and Tribal Nations QQ Model Open Use Policy for School Districts QQ Incorporating Shared Use into Local School Wellness Policies 0 0 100 km 100 mi 0 0 200 200 Lemon Grove CALIFORNIA 0 0 100 100 200 300 km 300 mi 200 km 100 mi Hamilton County TENNESSEE 0 0 100 100 200 300 km 300 mi 200 SOUTH CAROLINA NORTH CAROLINA 18 Shared Use | changelabsolutions.org
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