Schools are often centrally located within a community and have gymnasiums, playgrounds, sports fields, courts, tracks or other facilities that could provide opportunities for residents to be active if they were available outside of normal school hours. The shared use (or joint use) of existing school and community sport and recreational facilities can be a cost-effective way to promote physical activity among residents of all ages. 9p

Provides model joint use agreements that are a formal agreement between two separate government entities–often a school and a city or county–setting forth the terms and conditions for shared use of public property or facilities. Includes the following: Opening Outdoor School Facilities for Use During Non-School Hours; Opening Indoor and Outdoor School Facilities for Use During Non-School Hours; Opening School Facilities for Use During Non-School Hours & Authorizing Third Parties to Operate Programs; and Joint Use of District and City Recreation Facilities.

Provides strategies for planning, designing, and equipping after-school physical environments for school-age children from kindergarten through eighth grade. After-school spaces offer an opportunity to create special crossover environments where children can learn in a low-stress setting, explore new interests, and develop meaningful relationships with friends and mentors. Covers the following topics: getting started, adjacencies; accessibility; greening your space; tips for maximizing shared space; entry/gathering area; program activities; indoor and outdoor active play; dramatic play, quiet games, and construction-based play; science; music and arts; academic support; computer/technology spaces; adult spaces; children's bathrooms; storage; maintenance; ambiance and aesthetics; equipment and furnishings; 40p

Details five findings from a study of community schools. These are: 1) Community schools use the bulk of their resources to directly assist schools in meeting their core instructional mission, while also strengthening the health and well-being of students, families and neighborhoods. 2) Community schools leverage $3 for every dollar invested by school districts. 3) Collaborative leadership structures support finance and other key functions at the school and system level. 4) A mix of public and private sector partners expands financial, as well as technical and political capacity. 5) Full-time site coordination contributes essential site level capacity at minimal cost. 56p.

One obstacle to sharing public school facilities is recovering the cost of joint use. This joint use cost calculator helps school districts determine what to charge users to recover costs for joint use, particularly in situations where the district is unsure know what it costs to own and operate the school buildings. The calculator helps: 1) identify the elements of school district facility related costs, 2)calculate full cost of ownership on a per square foot and per hour basis, 3) determine policy decisions school districts need to make about which users to subsidize, and 4) create fee structure options for various non-school users, based on the real cost of ownership

Cites current perspectives and prior research on community use of school facilities, outlines three types of joint use approaches, and categorizes nine types of common community use arrangements found in California schools. These categories include expanded outdoor and indoor recreational spaces, shared library and arts facilities, community services, meetings and events, land development and local revitilization, and tenant type arrangements. Ten findings from the research are detailed, and lists of 6 resources and 43 references are included. 44p.

Some school districts are reluctant to open school property to the community after hours, concerned about the legal risks and the costs associated with injury or property damage. This fact sheet explains how state laws, insurance, and joint use agreements can help protect school districts from liability. 3p

Advocates for more community schools, examining obstacles to their creation, the importance of proximity between school and neighborhood, recommendations for policy changes that will enable more community schools, particularly where acreage requirements are concerned. Eight references are included. 6p.

Summarizes an analysis of space utilization of Brooklyn's PS-15 elementary school, a facility that houses a traditional and a charter school, as well as community services. The report reveals that the traditional classrooms are typically undersized and crowded, while the charter school classrooms are somewhat better. The report also addresses space for special education, impending issues for shared spaces (cafeteria, gymn, auditorium), and the inadequacy of the school library. 6p.

Focuses on liability for recreational use of school facilities, outlining what general liability standards are applied, as well as any limitations on liability or damages. 8p

This monograph serve as a resource for school districts, citizen leaders, community organizations, service providers, and elected officials who share the call for urgent action toward the creative deployment of California's vital human, financial and environmental resources to our inner city and inner suburban schools and neighborhoods. Includes a discussion of collaborative management; systemic economics; integrative policy; nexus planning; engaging the community; moving from sustainability to transformation. 44p.

State-by-state overview of statutes about whether school property can be used by the community for recreation. Includes special rules regarding liability, fees, insurance, joint use, or applicability to K-12 or universities/colleges.

Presents research findings and policy recommendations from a yearlong investigation to establish a more effective joint use strategy in the San Francisco Unified School District. The report details utilization, management, policy, and budget findings, noting significant deficiencies. Four recommendations to improve the use of San Francisco schools both during school hours and afterwards are offered, and appendices provide scope, vision statements, and lists of participants and identified challenges. 62p.

Explores joint use as a way to provide services to children and families in convenient locations, improve opportunities for physical activity of youth and adults, leverage capital investments, and reduce the consumption of land. The report attempts to frame the basic challenges and opportunities for joint use to increase the quantity and quality of joint use policy and practice. 17p.

Shares what has been learned from some successful school/community joint use agreements and offers guidelines and templates for communities seeking to increase their own access to school recreational facilities. Chapter 1 provides a snapshot of how communities throughout California are currently sharing facilities, and highlights the essential components of a joint use agreement. Chapter 2 provides a step-by-step checklist for negotiating and developing a joint use agreement, highlighting important issues to consider at each stage of the process. Chapter 3 presents short profiles illustrating how different communities throughout California have negotiated and implemented four types of joint use. 168p.

Provides an overview of community school strategies in the United States and how community schools can decrease poverty's detrimental effect on students. The report highlights the examples where research shows community schools have had the most success by providing access to child care, social services, health care, and extended education. It also reviews England's extended school model and suggest how the United States can expand community schools based on England's experience. 28p.

This California legislation authorizes a school district to enter into leases and agreements relating to real property and buildings to be used jointly by the district and a local governmental agency. Existing law already authorized a school district to enter into leases and agreements relating to real property and buildings to be used jointly by the district and any private person, firm, or corporation. 8p.

Reviews eight community schools to show their effects on graduation and drop-out rates. Rising graduation and college going rates and a decrease in drop-out rates are found in community schools. The report also finds that community schools strengths lie in their local communities, creating personalized environments, a rigorous curriculum, and sustainable partnerships. 28p.

This video profiles the Rosa Parks School, which opened in 2007 to students in one of the most impoverished areas of Portland, Oregon. Facing a burgeoning population and a tightened budget, Portland Public Schools (PPS) and the Housing Authority of Portland (HAP) joined forces with The Boys & Girls Club of Portland and the City of Portland’s University Park Community Center to create a two-acre educational campus. PPS developed a gold-standard Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified sustainable building. The school is a model for how multiple partners and creative design can result in a sustainable school and a sustainable community.

Presents an interview with U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, promoting the concept of schools as centers of community, with emphasis on keeping school buildings open for extended hours and community service organizations conducting their programs via the school site.

Cities capitalize on existing schoolyards to provide more opportunities for physical activity.

Describes how the Charleston County School District participated in the transformation of an older neighborhood into a successful, sustainable community. CCSD engaged both the community and local government leaders, creating its own school master plan to construct facilities designed to attract young families and foster local neighborhood development. Details the design of the new 330,000-square-foot Center of Arts and Academics, located on a 55-acre abandoned school site in North Charleston, that is now a state-of-the-art arts facility and a community asset.

The design of a major new school is a rare event in the life of a community. In many places, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Describes how the community and educators in Westbrook, Maine took to heart the task of creating a junior high school that would serve as an educational magnet for students and a community/performing arts center for residents for years to come.

Urges school districts to retain closed school buildings rather than sell them, as many districts have found that when enrollment rebounded, they later needed buildings that they had sold. Ideally, a new school building should be designed to be easily converted to other community uses if it enters a period of underutilization, and ideas for adaptive re-use of existing schools are described.

Responds to need for school architecture to address both educational and societal use of school facilities.

Profiles two joint-use facilities and one modular high school honored for functionality, frugality, design features and balance, ability to inspire learning, and flexibility. The joint-use facilities are the Lunda Center at Wisconsin's Western Technical College and the Centennial Hills Library of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. The modular facility is High Tech High School in Chula Vista, California. Photographs, building statistics, and a list of project participants accompany the text.

Describes New Orleans' plans for rebuilding its schools. Many of the school sites will become a "nexus" for their neighborhoods, surrounded by retail, social service, health, and cultural facilities. Over 10,000 citizens were involved in the planning.

One way to address childhood obesity is to create outlets for children to engage in physical activity. Schools are well equipped to provide an active environment. However, some school boards and administrators are concerned about liability risks. This study describes the legal rules applicable to potential claims against public schools during recreational use of school grounds and facilities. The study concluded that public schools in most states can be subject to liability in certain cases arising out of recreational use of their facilities. However, schools have important defenses. In combination with empirical research about liability in other contexts, this survey suggests that liability risks are unlikely to justify the denial of recreational access to children who are at risk of obesity. (Authors' abstract)

Profiles the two main winners in the 2010 American School and University Magazine Education Interiors competition. The Omaha Public Schools Saddlebrook Joint-Use Library and the New York University Stern School of Business Concourse were chosen for high performance, value, safety and security, innovation, atmosphere, functionality, quality, and contextual relationship. Photographs and project statistics accompany a brief description of each project.

Examines the applicability of recreational user statutes to public schools when the use of school facilities for recreational purposes would occur outside of regular school hours. A review of recreational user statutes from all 50 states was conducted in 2007 and 2009. Forty-two states had recreational user statutes that would potentially offer protection from liability for public schools. The study suggests the need for further statutory liability protections for public schools, and immunity provisions that target activities conducive to physical activity, common on school grounds, and popular among community residents. It further suggests that empirical studies be conducted to examine school administrator's perceptions relevant to liability as a potential barrier to opening school sport and recreational facilities to members of the community outside of regular school hours.[author's abstract]

Discusses the increasing development of schools as centers of community. Configuring spaces to accommodate curricular and non-curricular uses, increased common areas, and multi-media spaces are addressed.

Profiles River Crest Elementary School in Hudson, Wisconsin. This "green" school was built at 29% below the average cost for schools in that region, and has formed partnerships with the YMCA camp across the street. The facility serves as a catalyst for sustainable change and has been an educational tool for ecofriendly behavior in the community.

Describes construction of Kahnaware Survival School near Montreal. In addition to its function as a school, the building itself serves as a teaching tool, a community gathering place, and a shelter in case of disaster. Since the building is used primarily during cold-weather months, particular attention is given to efficient HVAC.

Traces the evolution of school siting standards, explains factors currently influencing school facility location decisions, and identifies what local and regional planners could contribute to school siting decisions. The author's research discovered that different groups use very different definitions of community school. Smart growth proponents advocate community schools that are small and intimately linked to neighborhoods, while school facility planners expect community schools to meet the needs of entire localities. She recommends that individual communities consider the tradeoffs associated with different school sizes and make choices that meet local preferences for locations within walking distance of students, potential for sports fields, school design, and connections to neighborhoods. State school construction and siting policies should support flexibility for localities.

Re-defines the concept of joint use of schools beyond traditional "benignly invasive" school facilities that open to the community at discrete hours.  Author describes reversible hosting, where school design or adaptation also opens the school into the community, and where school constituences experience the surrounding environment as well.

Details necessary or otherwise desirable design features for schools that are made available for community use. The recommendations are based on studies of three Tulsa area community schools that were not suitable for community use, as well as suffering from deficiencies in their roles as schools. Community wings were developed for the schools. A prototype floor plan and four references accompany the text.

Discusses creating high schools on college campuses, addressing the educational advantages of the arrangement and complexities of designing for two clients. Successful examples from California are cited.

Discusses the evolution toward schools as community centers, detailing federal government encouragement, and several successful examples have united a school with community development endeavors.

Describes an addition to a Boston high school that includes a public library and community center. Project information, plans, and photographs are included.

Advises on the creation of school athletic facilities that can be used by the community. Zoning and placement, programming and scheduling, and operational costs for expanded-use facilities are addressed, as are their advantages to building community support for the school construction.

Discusses opening higher education fitness centers to the public, addressing potential legal problems of selling memberships, design considerations, security, equipment, personnel, and potential conflicts among user groups.

Advises on how to utilize school buildings in an environment of declining enrollment, without repeating the past mistake of abandoning, selling, or converting school property to other uses.

Profiles this West Sacramento school whose recreation center is the largest joint-use facility in the city, offering extensive amenities and operated by the city.

Advises on the design of community schools, emphasizing co-location of facilities that serve the students, as well as seniors, health and recreation departments, law enforcement, early childhood, and extended education.

Outlines four key characteristics of a sustainable school master plan: 1) supporting learning through integration of varying spaces, furnishings, and technologies; 2) putting schools at the centers of communities; 3) creating high-performance facilities; and 4) taking a long-term view.

Profiles two community center/joint use facilities selected for the 2009 American School and University Magazine Education Interiors Showcase. The projects were chosen for their ability to integrate current and future technology, innovative use of materials, life-cycle cost versus first cost, timelessness, safety and security, clarity of design concept, and accommodation of an enhanced educational mission. Photographs and project statistics accompany a brief description of each project.

Profiles this West Sacramento school whose recreation center is the largest joint-use facility in the city, offering extensive amenities and operated by the city.

Reviews recent successes in the construciton of community schools and notes administrative and funding obstacles to a more widespread community schools movement.

Discusses opportunities for creating community schools, with particular attention to support available at the national association and federal government level. The benefits of community schools are cited, and links to additional resources are provided.

Advocates design of schools to accommodate users of all ages, all day long, through housing community service organizations within the school. Ohio’s Medina High School is described as an example.

Discusses sustainability, finding space, special education needs, and the school as community anchor, all of which figure prominently in the creating of inner-city schools.

Reviews state- and local-level challenges to creating smaller, community-centered schools and preserving historic neighborhood schools. These historically come from acreage requirements in school facility guidelines that are gradually being abandoned. Nonetheless, the desire to build large, remote schools persists. Deferred maintenance that has led to decrepit inner city schools that are deemed unsalvageable is also blamed. A variety of remedies suggested include relaxing cost percentage rules for renovation versus new construction, joint use of neighborhood facilities, and more accurate feasibility studies for renovation versus new construction.