Opening School Grounds to the Community After Hours

In many communities, where safe places to play are few and far between, schools offer a variety of recreational facilities – from gymnasiums and running tracks to sports fields and playgrounds – to meet residents’ needs.

But districts often close their property to the public after hours, concerned about security, maintenance, liability, and other costs.

The good news is that school districts, local governments, and community-based organizations can share the costs and responsibilities of opening school property to the public after hours through shared use arrangements like joint use agreements.

ChangeLab Solutions developed this toolkit to help California communities and school districts work together to develop joint use agreements increasing access to recreational facilities on school grounds.