Sharing Resources, Sharing Responsibilities: Recommendations for Preserving Schools & Playgrounds
A Report of the Save Our Schools & Playgrounds Task Force
Ashland, Oregon
November 2005
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Ashland School Board, the Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission and the City Council for their cooperation with our task force. We appreciate the time and the patience that members of all three boards have invested in the issue of preserving Briscoe & Lincoln playgrounds as neighborhood parks.
We owe an enormous debt to the Ashland residents who stepped forward to serve on our task force, and to act as facilitators and advisors to the task force. Thank you to members of the task force: Rich Whitley, Chair; Ruth Bell Alexander, Co-Chair; Jody Hodges, Celine Fulton, Amy Patton, Rich Rosenthal, Amy Amrhein, Cate Hartzell, Daniel Cazares, Paul Copeland, and Melissa Mitchell-Hooge. Thanks to Su Rolle for her help in writing the introduction, to our facilitator, Kevin Preister, and to our advisors, Paul Nolte and Brian Almquist, for their willingness to help.
Our appreciation also goes out to the many community members who participated in this process by attending community task force meetings, sharing comments and ideas, and serving on our board.
We would also like to thank the many community members and Ashland businesses who have so generously supported Save Our Schools & Playgrounds’ community clean-up crew efforts at Briscoe and Lincoln, the idea for which came out of the task force. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to the many Ashland residents who donated their time, energy, labor and good humor on a Saturday morning to help keep these playgrounds safe and fun for our children.
Many thanks to the following Ashland businesses for their support of the clean-up effort by providing bottles of water, pastries and gift certificates for clean-up crew participants: Paddington Station, Ashland Bakery & Café, Rogue Valley Roasting Company, Breadboard Restaurant, Bead Studio, Houston’s Custom Framing & Fine Art, Tree House Books, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Zoey’s Café and All Natural Ice Cream, Four & Twenty Blackbirds Bakery, Allyson’s of Ashland, Apple Cellar, Bloomsbury Books, Yummykake, Coolidge House Bed & Breakfast, Flower Tyme on the Plaza, Louie’s Bar & Grill, Shop ‘N’ Kart, and Ashland Sanitary & Recycling.
We have been fortunate to have experienced, first hand, Ashland’s remarkable community -- a community of intelligent and dedicated individuals who care deeply about parks, education, and the welfare of children and families. For that, we are truly grateful.
To order copies of this report or to request copies of Resources A and B please contact:
Save Our Schools & Playgrounds / Friends of Lincoln Park
271 High Street, Ashland, Oregon, 97520
(541) 944-8946
savelincolnparkashland@gmail.com
Table of Contents
Summary……………………………….................................................................... 5
Recommendations in Brief………………………...……………………......5
Recommendations……………………………….......................................... 6
Action Items……………………...…………………………….................... 8
Other Ideas Explored by the Task Force………………………………........ 9
Chapter 1 - Introduction ………………………………............................................10
Chapter 2 - Definitions……………………………….............................................. 12
Chapter 3 - A Brief History………………………………....................................... 14
School Closures (2003-2005)…………….................................................... 15
Committee Appointed by Superintendent (2003)………….………………. 15
Save Our Schools & Playgrounds (2004)…………………………….......... 15
Past Agreements with Ashland School District, Ashland Parks & Recreation Department, & City of Ashland for School Grounds Maintenance (2002-2005)…………………….............................................. 16
Last Year’s School Grounds Maintenance (2004-2005)……………………16
Formation of Task Force (2005)…………………………............................ 17
Ashland Parks & Recreation Department Ends Funding for Ashland School District’s Non-Recreational Grounds Maintenance (2005)……………………. 17
Ashland Parks & Recreation Department’s Proposal to Purchase Briscoe Playground in Return for Grounds Maintenance (2005)……………………. 17
This Year’s School Grounds Maintenance (2005)…………………………. 18
Chapter 4 - Case Studies…………….………………………………....................... 19
Anacortes, Washington……………………………….................................. 20
Aspen, Colorado………………………………............................................ 20
Bainbridge Island, Washington………………………………..................... 21
Danville, California………………………………....................................... 22
Enumclaw, Washington………………………………................................ 23
Eugene, Oregon………………………………............................................. 24
Houston, Texas………………………………............................................. 25
Lake Oswego, Oregon………………………………................................... 26
Orinda, California……………………………….......................................... 27
Palo Alto, California………………………………..................................... 27
Pleasanton, California………………………………................................... 29
Port Angeles, Washington………………………………............................. 29
Portland, Oregon………………………………........................................... 30
San Jose, California………………………………...................................... 31
San Ramon, California……………………………….................................. 32
Santa Cruz, California………………………………................................... 33
Vashon Island, Washington………………………………........................... 34
Chapter 5 - Other Ideas Generated by the Task Force ………….…………………. 36
Resources………………………………................................................................... 38
Resource A - (Please contact us for a copy of Resource A) Development and Use Agreement for School Parks, Town of Danville, California and San Ramon Valley Unified School District………………………………............................................... Sorry, not included in online version of this report
Resource B - (Please contact us for a copy of Resource B) Schools & Parks Developing Partnerships……………………………………………………… Sorry, not included in online version of this report
“The local, grassroots group, Save Our Schools & Playgrounds, supports Ashland schools and the preservation of school playgrounds and playing fields for use as neighborhood parks.”
Summary
The Save Our Schools & Playgrounds Task Force was created by citizens of Ashland to develop a set of alternatives for the Ashland School Board to consider in its deliberations on the future of the Briscoe and Lincoln School facilities with a focus on the playgrounds. The task force approached this effort with the view that these facilities and playgrounds are not just financial assets but community assets. The question we asked ourselves was how could we address the clear financial needs of the school district while at the same time still meeting the needs of the community for neighborhood parks and gathering places? The playgrounds are part of the City Comprehensive Plan and attract many families from inside and outside of Ashland. The buildings themselves have the potential to meet other community needs.
In order to develop a set of recommendations the task force contacted numerous school districts around the country in an effort to learn how they had addressed the issues of declining enrollment and closing schools. The most consistent theme was a willingness to work with other government entities to share resources and costs. The task force recommendations reflect that commitment.
The task force’s recommendations are just that -- recommendations. It is the determination of the task force that maintaining these playgrounds and playing fields as long term community assets is in the best interest of the community as a whole. As this report demonstrates, many communities have found that there is much to be gained from school districts, parks departments and city governments working together to find solutions that maximize resources, strengthen relationships between public agencies, and provide efficient and cost-effective services to the public.
Recommendations in Brief
1.) Enter into a formal joint-use agreement between the Ashland Parks Department, City of Ashland, and the Ashland School District regarding school grounds maintenance.
2.) Share maintenance equipment and maintenance facilities yards between the City of Ashland, Ashland Parks & Recreation Department and Ashland School District, to the extent that is feasible, in order to save money, share resources, and possibly open up available land for workforce housing.
3.) Explore the idea of workforce housing on public land that does not currently house a playground or playing field, and encourage the donation of land to the City or School District for the purposes of workforce housing.
4.) Market Ashland to families.
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Recommendations
1.) Enter into a formal joint-use agreement between the Ashland Parks Department, City of Ashland, and the Ashland School District regarding school grounds maintenance.
a.) The District would lease all of the district playgrounds and playing fields to the Parks Department for a 30-year, renewable, token lease of $1.00 per year for use as dedicated parks.
b.) The Parks Department would maintain all of the grounds at the eight district schools, including recreational and non-recreational areas.
c.) The City of Ashland would pay for irrigation costs at Briscoe and Lincoln.
d.) The School District would pay for irrigation costs at all of the schools except Briscoe & Lincoln.
e.) The District would have the right to use Briscoe & Lincoln playgrounds and playing fields at any time in the future should the schools re-open or if the playgrounds or playing fields are needed for use by other district schools.
f.) The District would have the right to build a new school, if needed, on the park land at each site, provided that the District and the Parks Department work together to ensure that adequate and appropriate park land be dedicated in its place at the same site.
g.) The use of facilities such as gyms, auditoriums, theaters, playing fields, tennis courts, and swimming pools would be shared between the School District, the Parks Department, and the City of Ashland free of charge. The Parks Department and the City of Ashland would have access to district facilities after-hours (after 6:00 p.m.) and on weekends. The District would have first priority for use of district facilities, and the City and Parks Department would have first priority for use of city facilities.
h.) The City of Ashland would have first right-of-refusal if the District decides to sell any district playgrounds and playing fields in the future. The playgrounds and playing fields would be used as dedicated parks (with the possible exception of workforce housing on land that does not house a playground or playing field).
i.) The value of grounds maintenance services and irrigation costs incurred during the lease could be credited toward a future market value purchase if the District decides to sell any district playgrounds and playing fields.
(See case studies for Anacortes, WA, pg. 20; Danville, CA, pg. 22; Enumclaw, WA, pg. 23; Pleasanton, CA, pg. 29; Port Angeles, WA, pg. 29; San Ramon, CA, pg. 32; Santa Cruz, CA, pg. 33; Vashon Island, WA, pg. 34)
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Cost Summary for Recommendation #1: Joint-use Agreement
The Ashland Parks & Recreation Department would spend $189,000 per year in
recreational and non-recreational maintenance costs of all of the district schools
($129,000 non-recreational maintenance plus approximately $60,000 recreational
maintenance). This would save the District $88,618 (the amount that the District currently pays Jackson County to maintain school grounds) per year in maintenance costs, and would enable the District to reallocate Youth Activities Levy funds that are currently being used to maintain playing fields to a different use.
The City of Ashland would provide for irrigation at Briscoe and Lincoln Schools, saving the District approximately $10,000 per year.
2.) Share maintenance equipment and maintenance facilities yards between the City of Ashland, Ashland Parks & Recreation Department and Ashland School District, to the extent that is feasible, in order to save money, share resources, and possibly open up available land for workforce housing. (See case study for Orinda, CA, pg. 27)
Cost Summary for Recommendation #2: Share Maintenance Equipment and Maintenance Facilities Yards
Cost savings would be dependent on the extent that resources are shared. For example, in the City of Orinda, California, the City and School District share a facilities building which is owned by the District. The City pays rent to the District.
3.) Explore the idea of workforce housing on public land that does not currently house a playground or playing field, and encourage the donation of land to the City or School District for the purposes of workforce housing.
Explore the idea of a lease option with a land trust for district property (deemed “surplus” by the district and not currently housing a playground or playing field) and/or city property for the purposes of building workforce housing.
The District would benefit in the following ways: a.) Income stream derived from a long-term land lease; b.) Income from the addition of more children in district schools; c.) Workforce housing for teachers and district staff.
The City would benefit from the addition of much needed workforce housing for city employees such as police officers, fire fighters, emergency personnel, and city staff, who
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increasingly cannot afford to live in Ashland.
The Housing Commission, in partnership with the City of Ashland and the Ashland School District, could encourage private citizens to donate land to the City or the School
District for the purposes of workforce housing. Members of the community could donate
land through a bequest program that would be promoted and marketed by the Housing Commission.
Cost Summary for Recommendation #3: Workforce Housing on Public Land
There are a variety of options and parameters available to employers who choose to help make housing more affordable to their workforce. Contact the Ashland Housing Commission for more detailed information regarding projected costs and potential revenue to the district.
4.) Market Ashland to families. The Ashland Chamber of Commerce, City of Ashland, and the Ashland School District should work together to increase efforts in the area of marketing Ashland to families. The Chamber might consider discontinuing advertising in retirement magazines entirely and start advertising in family-oriented publications such as Child, Parents, and Family Fun magazines. City, Chamber and District websites should be re-examined to ensure that the websites promote Ashland to families and children in an effective way. The School District could also advertise its offerings in the newspaper several times per year (See case study for Lake Oswego, OR, pg. 26).
Cost Summary for Recommendation #4: Market Ashland to Families
Cost of advertising might increase for the Chamber of Commerce, depending on the advertising rates of the publications used. Cost to expand websites to better promote Ashland to families and children would be minimal. Newspaper advertising costs incurred by the School District could be covered with the help of local non-profits that support Ashland Schools.
Action Items
1.) Ashland School District, Ashland Parks & Recreation Department, and the City of
Ashland meet again in early December, 2005, with the goal of adopting a formal agreement regarding school grounds maintenance during this budget cycle. The Ashland
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Parks & Recreation’s budget planning for 2006/2007 is currently in process (until February 2006).
2.) Implement a formal agreement between the Ashland School District, the Ashland
Parks & Recreation Department, and the City of Ashland that brings about a satisfactory resolution to the school grounds maintenance situation by April 1, 2006, so that further damage to the Briscoe and Lincoln school sites (i.e. stress to trees and landscaping, broken glass, vandalism, etc.) is averted and the integrity and safety of the playgrounds is restored.
Other Ideas Explored by the Task Force
The Task Force also explored the following ideas: City or district-wide income tax; Oregon Shakespeare Festival ticket tax; Business tax for businesses earning over half a million per year; Combine Ashland School District and Phoenix/Talent School District; Renew and expand meals tax; Coffee tax; Cigarette tax; Property-tax; District would cede all of the district playgrounds and playing fields to the Ashland Parks Department in exchange for grounds maintenance at all of the schools; District would sell Briscoe & Lincoln to the Ashland Parks Department for fair market value; Grants; Measure 66 funds; System Development Charges (SDC’s).
“I personally like the whole playground in general, but the slide that you can hide in is the coolest.” -- Kyle, age 12
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Chapter One - Introduction
Introduction
“I like rolling down the hill and playing on the big playground.” -- Elan, age 3
Neighborhood parks are critical to our quality of life in Ashland. These are the places where people of all ages gather and play. These are the open spaces that remind us that we’re part of something much grander, far more meaningful than the structures in which we live. We all know what a challenge it is for Americans to be physically active. Parks are the perfect health centers where young and old get outdoors, breathe deeply, walk, play, exercise, and reconnect with nature.
Recent research has explored the relationship that exists between fitness and a community’s immediate living environment. “The real secret to fitness is to live in an environment that encourages it,” states a recent national news article.[1] The authors go on to report that studies are now showing that,
“Other risk factors aside, people in densely populated places graced with sidewalks and shops had the lowest rate of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke. The rates rose steadily as communities became more spread-out and less walkable…researchers are now discovering, behavior is not just a matter of choice. Every aspect of our lifestyles -- what we eat, whether we smoke, how much we exercise -- is shaped by our surroundings.”[2]
Since the closing of Briscoe Elementary in 2003, and Lincoln Elementary in 2005, it is even more evident that these areas are more than elementary school playgrounds -- they function as neighborhood parks. New parents gather with their babies and share stories. Children climb and swing. Teenagers play soccer in the fields and neighbors shoot hoops. The benefit to the community that these parks provide is beyond measure.
It is our hope that the Ashland School District, the Ashland Parks & Recreation Department, and the City of Ashland can work together to find a solution to this situation that preserves these playgrounds for the children and families of Ashland -- today, tomorrow and for generations to come.
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Chapter Two - Definitions
Definitions
District schools: The following eight Ashland School District schools: Briscoe, Lincoln, Walker, Helman and Bellview Elementary Schools, Ashland Middle School, Ashland High School (which includes the Wilderness Charter School), and Willow Wind Community Learning Center.
District playgrounds and playing fields: Playgrounds and playing fields, including play equipment, sand boxes, handball courts, volleyball courts, basketball courts, soccer fields, bocce ball courts, football fields, and baseball diamonds, etc., at all eight district schools.
Recreational areas: Playing fields.
Non-recreational areas: Landscaped areas that are not playing fields. These include the landscaped areas that are located between wings, and in the front of schools.
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Chapter Three - A Brief History
A Brief History
“I like the tire swing and the twirly slide.” -- Lilli, age 7
School Closures (2003-2005)
Due to declining enrollment in Ashland schools and years of inadequate funding on the state level, the Ashland School Board decided that the closure of two elementary schools was necessary. Briscoe Elementary was closed in June 2003, and Lincoln Elementary was closed in June 2005.
Committee Appointed by Superintendent (2003)
In spring of 2003, Ashland School District Superintendent, Juli Di Chiro, appointed a committee of land development and real estate specialists to look into what would be in the best financial interest for the School District to do with the Briscoe Elementary site. The committee consisted of Carol Davis, Patie Millen, Jack Davis, and John Schleining. The committee’s recommendation to the Superintendent in the fall of 2003 was to keep the building as is, continue to lease the building, and build “mixed-use development” on the playground and playing field.
Save Our Schools & Playgrounds (2004)
Upon hearing of the committee’s recommendation to build mixed-use development on Briscoe playground, neighbors and other concerned community members came together in May 2004 to form what would later become the non-profit group, Save Our Schools and Playgrounds (SOSP). The initial intent of the group was to find a long-term, permanent funding solution that would enable the community to preserve Briscoe playground as a neighborhood park as well as to support Ashland schools.
It was not long before Lincoln Elementary playground was added to SOSP’s list of playgrounds that were at risk, as Lincoln was due to close in June 2005. Neighbors in the Lincoln neighborhood expressed a strong desire to keep Lincoln playground as a neighborhood park and asked to be included in our efforts.
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Past Agreements with Ashland School District, Ashland Parks & Recreation Department & City of Ashland for School Grounds Maintenance (2002-2005)
In 2002, the Ashland City Budget Committee approved and fully funded the non-recreational grounds maintenance request of $205,000 to cover all of the District’s school grounds non-recreational maintenance for the 2002/2003 school year.
In 2003, the Ashland Parks Department reduced the amount they felt
they needed for proper non-recreational grounds maintenance to $133,000 for the 2003/2004 school year. It was approved by the budget committee.
Three options were presented for the third year. The budget committee approved the third option, which shared the cost between the three agencies (City, Parks and School District) for the 2004/2005 school year. Each agency contributed $43,000 towards the full cost of non-recreational grounds maintenance at all of the schools, which was determined to be $129,000.
No proposal for City funding of school grounds maintenance was made to the budget committee for the 2005/2006 school year. In his presentation, the Parks Commission Chair, Mike Gardiner, explained that they were in negotiation with the school for long-term funding. The Budget Committee approved the Parks Department budget as presented.
Last Year’s School Grounds Maintenance (2004-2005)
Last year, during the 2004/2005 school year, the Ashland Parks Department maintained play equipment at all school playgrounds free of charge. The Ashland School District paid the Parks Department approximately $60,000 for maintenance of recreational areas, which was funded by the Youth Activities Levy. (This amount varies from year to year.)
The Ashland Parks Department had a $129,000/year contract for maintenance of the
non-recreational areas at all of the schools. This was funded one-third by the City, one-third by the School District, and one-third by the Parks Department ($43,000 each). The actual subsidy to the Ashland School District was therefore $86,000.
Briscoe tenant, OCDC, paid for watering both recreational and non-recreational areas at Briscoe School.
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Formation of Task Force (2005)
At the conclusion of the Joint Meeting between the Parks Commission and the Ashland School Board on November 15, 2004, it was decided that the next step would be the formation of a task force to study and explore further funding options that would enable the community to preserve Briscoe & Lincoln playgrounds for use as neighborhood parks. The Task Force, which is sponsored by Save Our Schools & Playgrounds, held its first meeting in January 2005 and concluded its work in November 2005.
The goals and objectives of the Task Force were to explore possible solutions that would enable the community to preserve Briscoe & Lincoln playgrounds for use as neighborhood parks, to generate revenue for the school district, and to develop a funding plan for long-term maintenance of these playgrounds.
Ashland Parks & Recreation Department Ends Funding for Ashland School District’s Non-Recreational Grounds Maintenance (2005)
In a letter dated May 9, 2005, the Director of Ashland Parks and Recreation, Don Robertson, conveyed to Ashland School District Superintendent, Juli Di Chiro, that the Parks Commission considered the non-recreational school grounds maintenance to be “outside the scope of their mission and purpose for using resources.” Mr. Robertson informed Ms. Di Chiro that the maintenance of the non-recreational school ground areas would be discontinued, effective July 1, 2005.
Mr. Robertson also expressed the Parks Commission’s concern regarding the potential loss of the playgrounds at Briscoe and Lincoln Schools, which the Parks Commission treats as neighborhood parks. He added that in order to preserve the land as a neighborhood park the Parks Commission “would be interested in entering into an agreement for the continued maintenance of the non-recreational areas.”
Ashland Parks Department’s Proposal to Purchase Briscoe Playground in Return for Grounds Maintenance (2005)
In the same letter, dated May 9, 2005 (see previous section), the Ashland Parks & Recreation Department submitted a proposal to the Ashland School District to purchase the 1.5 acre playground and playing field at Briscoe Elementary. The Parks Department proposed that they would maintain all of the non-recreational school grounds at all of the district’s schools for $129,000 per year (with a 3% per year increase), which would be credited, over approximately five years, towards a purchase of Briscoe’s playground and
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playing field at fair market value.
With permission from the District, the Parks Department had a professional appraisal of Briscoe’s playground and playing field done in the spring of 2005. The appraised value of the 1.5 acre playground and playing field was determined to be between $600,000 and $700,000.
At a Special Session of the Ashland School Board on May 18, 2005, the School Board voted not to accept the proposal for the sale of Briscoe Playground in return for grounds services. The format of the initial proposal was found to be unacceptable to the Board and the School Board declined the offer. The School Board instructed district staff to respond to the Parks Commission and to thank them for the proposal and for initiating the conversation. The School Board directed district staff to invite the Parks Commission to continue the discussion in the future.
This Year’s School Grounds Maintenance (2005)
Currently, the Ashland Parks Department maintains all of the play equipment at all of the school playgrounds free of charge.
Beginning July 1, 2005, the Ashland School District entered into an agreement with Jackson County Roads and Parks Services regarding school grounds maintenance. The initial agreement was a $67,101/year contract for maintenance of all of the district’s
recreational and non-recreational areas. The contract left out Lincoln Elementary, the back of Briscoe Elementary, Willow Wind Community Learning Center and the Wilderness Charter School. Adding these properties, additional mowing, irrigation repair and a 10% contingency fee brought the total to $88,618/year. These additions to the contract were approved by the Ashland School Board on October 12, 2005.
Briscoe tenant, Oregon Child Development Coalition (OCDC), shares the cost for irrigating the non-recreational areas (front and side yards) at Briscoe with the building’s other tenant, ArtWing. OCDC stopped paying for irrigation of the recreational area (back field) at Briscoe in 2005.
The Ashland School District pays for all other watering. Ashland Middle School is on TID. The District had stopped watering the fields at Lincoln and Briscoe until just before July 4, 2005, resulting in some die back of lawns and stress to trees and shrubs.
“My favorite part of the playground is the kids.” -- Liam, age 2
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Chapter Four - Case Studies
Case Studies
“There’s lots of kids at the park. Besides it has lots of grass. Besides it has everything you need there.” -- Kip, age 6
Anacortes, Washington
Anacortes School District is considering the possibility of closing an elementary school. If the K-3 primary school closes, the school may be leased to the local hospital for use as an occupational, speech and physical therapy center.
If the school closes, the superintendent said that the school district would continue to maintain the playground for use by the community.
The Anacortes School District has a history of partnership with the City of Anacortes. The District currently provides gym space for city programs in exchange for grounds maintenance.
Anacortes School District
(360) 293-1200
City of Anacortes
(360) 293-1900
Aspen, Colorado
The Aspen School District owns 22 housing units which it rents to entry-level teachers. Due to the high cost of housing in Aspen, there is a waiting list for the properties. Average home price is $4.8 million. The City and County own approximately 2000 affordable housing units, as well, but due to four-year residency requirements, the school district found that City and County housing alone was not feasible for entry-level teachers who were new to the area. The District has been offering affordable housing to entry-level teachers for about five years. The housing is not intended to be permanent, as the teachers will eventually qualify for City and County affordable housing after four years of residency.
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A total of 1501 students are enrolled in Aspen’s three public schools (one elementary, one middle, and one high school). The District has allowed out of district students to attend Aspen public schools in order to fill the schools in the past, but they are currently at physical capacity and have closed out of district enrollment for now. Of the 1501 students currently enrolled in Aspen public schools, approximately 300 are from outside of the district. The state of Colorado allows for students to attend their school of choice on a space-available basis.
Aspen School District
(970) 925-3760
City of Aspen
(970) 920-5082
Bainbridge Island, Washington
Bainbridge Island School District closed a middle school in 1995 due to seismic issues and the need for more space. Built in 1949, the former middle school now houses alternative programs such as Head Start, Bainbridge Youth Services (employment and
counseling services for teens), a parent/child center for low income families, a small high school, a school for grades 1-8, and nine classrooms from the regular high school. It took one year to figure out how to best make use of the former school site.
The School District operates four schools with a total of 4000 students. Elementary (K-4), Intermediate (5-6), Middle School (7-8) and High School (9-12). The Intermediate School is designed so that kids have two teachers in 5th grade and 3 teachers in 6th grade, gradually introducing kids to having multiple teachers.
Bainbridge Island is a growing retirement community with a lack of affordable housing. They have experienced growth at the high school because families are better able to afford to move to Bainbridge Island when their kids are older.
A few years ago a community committee was established to address affordable housing issues. One realtor who was on the committee has done a lot of research into FIMA funding for subsidizing the cost of teacher housing. She personally supplements the cost of teachers’ housing with her own money. Other realtors ask clients who are renting units if they would consider giving a teacher a discount. Realtors regularly encourage discounts for teachers.
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Bainbridge Island School District has also partnered with the Parks Department to
build ball fields at some school sites.
Bainbridge Island School District
(206) 842-4714
City of Bainbridge Island
(206) 842-7633
Danville, California
The Town of Danville and the San Ramon Valley Unified School District have a history of working together on recreational facilities and have several joint-use agreements. The Town has the right to use District facilities after school hours and on weekends and may charge rent for after-hours use of the facilities. The Town has paid 50% of the cost of building one new gym and 100% of the cost to build another. The District and Town have a regularly scheduled monthly meeting to ensure that their joint-use agreement continues to work smoothly.
There is also an agreement between the Town of Danville, San Ramon Valley Unified School District and Contra Costa County for the building and joint-use of a new swimming pool at Monte Vista High School. The need for a new swimming pool was identified and, with the help of a citizen’s group formed to shepherd the pool project, they worked together to finance, maintain, and oversee the building of the pool for the use and enjoyment of the Town and the School District.
The agreement lays out the roles and responsibilities of the parties with respect to the
development, financing, use, operation and maintenance of the new swimming pool. The agreement sets up an advisory committee to meet biannually to assure that the joint agreement is working to everyone’s satisfaction. On the advisory committee are two representatives from the County, two from the Town of Danville, and two from the School District.
The Town of Danville and the San Ramon Valley Unified School District have found that there is great public benefit derived from new or renovated recreation facilities resulting from joint Town-District funding. They have also found that maximizing recreational use of District properties and equitably distributing the cost of improvements and maintenance represents efficient and cost-effective service to the public. (See Resource A, pg. 39)
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San Ramon Valley Unified School District
(925) 552-5500
Town of Danville
(925) 314-3388
Enumclaw, Washington
Enumclaw School District just decided to close an elementary school in 2006 due to lack of funding, declining enrollment, and a desire to consolidate to all K-5 schools (they had K-3 and 4-5 schools in past). The “question of the hour” is what they will do with this 7.5 acre site that is prime real estate property. They are leaning towards leasing the site to the City of Enumclaw or another agency.
The PTA built a playground on this site previously. The District is now trying to decide whether it is in the best interest of the kids to keep the play equipment there or to move it to another site, and if the community will continue to use the playground if it were to remain.
The Enumclaw School District and the Enumclaw Parks Department have a cooperative agreement regarding grounds maintenance and scheduling. The Parks Department maintains and schedules use for a property that is owned by the district that has six ball fields on it. The school district also has a few other fields that they allow the Parks Department to schedule for their events after school hours. The District wants a partnership with the Parks Department.
Enumclaw School District
(360) 802-7100
City of Enumclaw
(360) 825-3591
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Eugene, Oregon
Eugene School District 4J (main city district) has closed several schools in the past few years and has employed a full range of options for working with them. They have continued to do maintenance of grounds and playgrounds and have leased buildings to single and multiple tenants.
Leasing the buildings has been a hassle due to continued maintenance requirements since most of their non-profit tenants cannot afford a triple-net lease where they would be responsible for everything. It has also been a hassle to deal with changing code requirements depending on the intended use of the building (ie fire separations and additional exits).
Eugene School District has found that leaving a school vacant just invites vandalism. Eugene had an arson at a vacant school in June 2005.
Many of Eugene’s old schools were built in the 1940’s and 1950’s and are not well-built buildings. They have pipes that are encased in cement floors, high maintenance needs, and a dark and oppressive feeling.
Although there has been public interest in keeping these small, neighborhood schools, Eugene 4J is moving away from them toward consolidation and building new schools. They built two new elementary schools recently. Eugene started consolidating schools in 2000. The Superintendent established a consolidation process with a group of citizens.
In 1990, Eugene 4J did a long-range facilities plan for school replacement and established a six-year bond cycle, passing successive twenty-year bonds which overlap. The money from the first bond took care of a backlog of uncompleted maintenance needs and now the needs are fewer because systems are working better and failing less.
Eugene 4J did a $7.5 million renovation of a middle school and still the maintenance costs are high for it, although operational costs (such as heating, etc.) have decreased. The final cost of renovation was more than expected.
Regarding grounds maintenance, the City mows some school grounds near parks in exchange for the schools mowing Park grounds near schools at other sites. The City of Eugene has purchased school grounds at fair market value in some cases.
Regarding lease agreements at closed schools, leases were established to cover the costs, including any big capital costs that might come along. School Board policy calls for charging market rates, but they do allow that if the entity leasing serves a similar
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role they will give a better rate.
The two new elementary schools (600 students each) were consolidations of four old schools. Two school sites were sold and two were torn down to make room for the new schools. Eugene’s old elementary schools were built for 150-200 students, which was too small to be cost-efficient with principals, etc.
Eugene School District 4J
(541) 687-3123
City of Eugene
(541) 682-5010
Houston, Texas
A school park program was developed in Houston in 1983 as a way to increase park space in the city. The SPARK School Park Program was founded by former Houston School Board member and former City Council member, Eleanor Tinsley, to develop public school grounds into neighborhood parks. An inter-local agreement, one of the first in Houston, between the city, the Houston Parks Board and the school district, formally established the program. The program’s mission is to help public schools develop their playgrounds into community parks.
Over the years, SPARK has completed 181 school/community parks by working in conjunction with the Department of Housing and Community Development, local school districts, the county, the private sector, neighborhood groups, PTA/PTO groups, and concerned citizens.
Due to the high level of community involvement in the planning and funding of the community parks, each park is unique. The completed park is a reflection of the creative efforts of its particular neighborhood. More than 85 of the 180 SPARK parks include public art projects, many of which are proposed and completed by art teachers at the schools or by local artists.
Each school that is selected is responsible for raising $5000 to go towards the development of the park. Corporate sponsors also provide $5000 (or more) for each park. Community members support the program by providing funding, help with tree planting, landscaping, working on public art projects, fundraising, and help in locating resources such as design services, landscaping and artists.
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The Mayor’s office provides the SPARK program with office space and supplies so that administrative costs are kept to a minimum.
The SPARK program has received numerous awards such as the Mayor’s Proud Partner Award, the Community Forestry Award, and the National Environmental Achievement Award.
Houston Independent School District
(713) 892-6222
City of Houston
(713) 247-2200
SPARK Program
(713) 247-2911
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Lake Oswego School District has had a stretch of declining enrollment, but it has been tapered, not dramatic. They do not plan any school closures. Lake Oswego is a no growth community and there is low turnover. They currently have nine elementary schools, two junior high schools and two high schools. Total district enrollment is 6,896 students.
Lake Oswego has a city committee looking into affordable housing and city development.
The Lake Oswego School District does a lot of publicity about the schools. They publicize the state report card and they put ads in the newspaper three to four times per year. They have a list-serve to send a District-wide newsletter to all District families. They have an excellent website, and a very well-supported schools foundation with a $1,000,000 endowment. Last year the Lake Oswego School District Foundation raised over $1.3 million that enabled the district to save 23 teachers’ positions that would have otherwise been eliminated due to budget constraints. All of the funds that are raised by the Foundation are used to support teaching positions in order to reduce class size.
Lake Oswego School District
(503) 534-2000
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City of Lake Oswego
(503) 635-0270
Lake Oswego School District Foundation
(503) 534-2302
Orinda, California
The City of Orinda shares a facilities and equipment agreement with the Orinda School District. They share machinery, such as a large shredder that is owned by the City and a cherry-picker that is owned by the District. After some events the City cleans the playgrounds and tracks. The City and District share a facilities building which is owned by the District. The City pays rent to the District.
The maintenance facility currently is located on .92 acres of land at an old school site. There is approximately 8,200 square feet of office and shop space, a yard for equipment storage and turnaround, and 24 parking spaces. A total of 16 employees work out of the maintenance facility, which includes both school district and city maintenance staffs.
Orinda Union School District
(925) 254-4901
City of Orinda
(925) 253-4200
Palo Alto, California
The Palo Alto Unified School District is among the highest-ranked school districts in California. The District attributes their success to the high level of professionalism of its teachers, to its students (high achievers who want to excel), and to the high value that the community places on education, supporting the schools with generous donations of time and money.
The district’s enrollment peaked in 1967 when 15,575 students were enrolled in Palo Alto
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schools. At that time, the district operated 22 elementary schools, 3 junior high schools,
and 3 high schools. Enrollment started to decline in the 1970’s and continued to decline through the 1980’s. The bottom of the decline occurred in 1989 when enrollment stood at 7,452. Eleven elementary schools, one middle school and two high schools were in operation at that time.
As enrollment has increased, Jordan Middle School has been reopened, and a twelfth elementary school was opened in 1998. In 2001, Terman Middle School reopened as a third middle school.
Currently, there are approximately 10,000 students enrolled in Palo Alto public schools. The District operates 12 elementary schools (K-5), three middle schools (6-8) and two high schools (9-12). The District also operates a pre-school, a Young Fives program, a self-supporting Adult School, the Hospital School at Stanford’s Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, and Summer School.
Two Palo Alto schools foundations, All Schools Fund and Palo Alto Foundation for Education, recently joined forces to become Palo Alto Partners in Education. The foundation raised $1.8 million that was donated to Palo Alto schools in 2004.
In 2002, Project HOT was founded to help teachers with the high cost of housing in Palo Alto. (Median home price is $950,000.) The project assists tenured, certified teachers and district personnel (who meet eligibility requirements) purchase homes in the area. Project HOT offers three options for teachers: a low-interest second mortgage, closing cost rebates and reductions, and home buying grants. Teachers or district personnel who qualify can apply for low-interest five-year loans for up to $50,000. Teachers make monthly interest-only payments to investors, and at the end of five years, teachers make a final payment to pay off the loan. Teachers can also receive discounts from local companies for non-recurring closing costs such as loan points, real estate agent fees, home appraisal fees and lender fees. Project HOT also collects donations from the community and distributes this money in the form of grants of up to $2000 to help teachers with additional home buying expenses such as loan points and moving costs.
Palo Alto Unified School District
(650) 329-3700
Palo Alto Partners in Education (Schools Foundation)
(650) 329-3990
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Project HOT
(650) 599-2114
Pleasanton, California
The City of Pleasanton and Pleasanton Unified School District have an agreement for the joint-use and maintenance of the Hart Middle School Gym. The City and the School District cooperated together to provide a community recreation program in connection with the use of the new gym facility. The City made a significant contribution, $1,945,150, to the cost of construction, and the City may also pay for other improvements or buildings on the site, which would be subject to prior written consent of the School District.
Pleasanton Unified School District
(925) 462-5500
City of Pleasanton
(925) 931-5001
Port Angeles, Washington
The Port Angeles School District closed one elementary school in June 2004. In response to the belief by some in the community that enrollment might increase in the future, the School Board decided not to do anything with the property for five years. The school has essentially been “mothballed” and is currently being used for surplus district storage. The District has continued to maintain the playground and to mow the grass. The School Board has received many offers to purchase and lease the property but has declined all offers to date.
The District has a long-term, trilateral agreement with the Parks Department and the local YMCA for the joint-use of all grounds and facilities, free of charge. Each entity is responsible for maintaining their own property. The Parks Department schedules the use of district gyms and playing fields for city recreational programs and events. School swim teams use the city pool for practices. The alternative high school, which does not have a gym, uses the gym at the YMCA. They are currently in the process of updating and redefining the agreement, which was originally drafted in 1974.
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Port Angeles School District
(360) 457-8575
City of Port Angeles
(360) 457-0411
Portland, Oregon
The Portland School District has closed four schools this year and three last year. Most were elementary schools, and one was a middle school. They have a 3000-4000 student loss expected over the next ten years.
In one old high school the District moved Administration and Special Education (80 staff members). These recently moved to a closed elementary school and the high school will be sold.
One closed school is being used half as a day care/special education facility and half as a neighborhood community office. This split works more easily than another facility, half of which was used for private school use and half for public school use. In that situation, they experienced difficulties concerning program conflicts. For either situation, Portland School District has learned that it is important to have an operating plan, put a principal in command, set hours, and assign a small number of keys.
Another Portland School District building was changed to hospital use and a zone change was needed.
In some cases, the Portland School District sold part of a site and held onto enough of the property so that if they needed to build a new school on the site they could. One such property was near a park. The purchaser tore down the original building.
The District has sold all vacant land, most at fair market value, and mostly to the City of Portland Parks. Seventy acres were sold, only about ten acres to developers.
The issue of buying public land with public money from the School District (which also originally purchased the land with public money) was not a concern in Portland because it was understood that each agency has a different mission. The City Parks Department’s mission is to provide recreation space, and the School District’s mission is to provide education. The City Parks Department purchases school land with a pot of money that has been designated by the public for the purpose of providing recreation.
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The Portland School District has several lease agreements in effect for old schools. Two
old schools are leased to private schools. One is leased to a French school on an eight-year lease.
For these arrangements, the Portland School District has learned that it is important to make clear that the public has the right to use the land after school hours. This issue was a problem in one instance where one of the private schools wanted to restrict public access to the playground.
In another case, the District sold the building and leased the land in a 40-year lease ($200,000 per year for 4-5 acres).
Another lease was for a day care facility and the District gave them a deal of $2/hour per classroom or $6/square foot. The District charges $12/square foot for everyone else.
The District also regularly rents out classroom space, gyms and auditoriums. Classrooms are rented for $20/hour and gyms and auditoriums are rented for $125/hour. The District does hundreds of these long-term classroom rental agreements per year.
The Portland School District has two full-time staff (paid $50,000/year including benefits) who handle 15,000 permits per year for classroom, gym and field use. For schools in operation, the principal in charge signs off. The District not only runs a profit of $8000/year by doing this, but they have also found that this practice has good political side-effects, as it brings people into the schools.
Portland Public School District
(503) 916-2000
City of Portland
(503) 823-4000
San Jose, California
The City of San Jose has an equity-sharing program that offers full-time public school teachers (K-12) up to $65,000 to put towards the purchase of a single-family house, town house, or condominium in San Jose. Assistance is available for up to approximately 50 teachers per year. Funds for this program are drawn from the City’s Redevelopment Agency and from the federal government.
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San Jose Unified School District
(408) 535-6000
City of San Jose Housing Department
(408) 975-4468
San Ramon, California
The City of San Ramon has several joint-use agreements with the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. One agreement is for the improvement, use and maintenance of sports fields and a parking lot at Pine Valley Middle School. The cost of the project was $1.75 million dollars, of which the District was to pay $250,000, and the City was to pay $1.5 million. The agreement specifies how usage of the fields and parking lot will be coordinated and how controversies or claims will be settled.
The City of San Ramon and the School District also have an agreement for cooperative
development of gymnasiums at two middle schools. The agreement lays out the plan for cost sharing and joint-use of the gyms. The City and School District agreed that the most cost-effective way to provide gym facilities to the students and citizens of San Ramon was to share the cost of the gyms under a joint-use agreement using both District and City funds. The District provides utilities during the school year and the City provides regular ongoing maintenance.
Another joint use agreement between the City of San Ramon and the School District is for the cooperative development of an all-weather track at the High School.
Yet another joint use agreement between the City and the District is for the San Ramon Olympic Pool at California High School.
San Ramon Valley Unified School District
(925) 552-5500
City of San Ramon
(925) 973-2500
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Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz City Schools closed two elementary schools in June 2004 due to declining enrollment. About eight years ago the district had a total of 9000 K-12 students and now they are down to 7200 students. The district now has a total of four elementary schools.
One former elementary school is now used for a grades 7-12 charter school. Under California Charter Law the district in which the charter school is located is obligated to provide funding for the percentage of kids who attend the charter school and who also reside in the district. In this case, 65% of the kids at the charter school live within the district, so 65% of the facility is provided free of charge. The remaining 35% of the facility is leased to the charter school for $200,000 per year under a five-year lease.
The second closed elementary school is now used by the district to house four alternative schools that were previously at four separate sites. They have found that this has helped reduce operating costs, as they only need one principal, one office, etc.
One of the former alternative school campuses is now leased to a private K-6 elementary school for $80,000 per year.
Another former alternative school campus is used for the district’s adult education facility.
The District’s Maintenance and Transportation Department is relocating to another former alternative school campus.
Santa Cruz City Schools has relocated its district office to an existing high school where there was enough space to do so. They modified ten classrooms to create district office
space in their largest high school (which had an enrollment of 1700 in previous years and now is down to 1300 students). The original district office, which was zoned for commercial and public use, was sold almost two years ago to the Santa Cruz County Housing Authority for $3,410,000.
The charter school is located in a residential neighborhood and the neighborhood still has access to the playground and playing field at the school after school hours. It is still a public school, and the facility still belongs to the district. The District maintains the field and the building and factors the maintenance cost into the cost of the lease.
The facility that is leased to a private elementary school is not located in a part of town where community members might necessarily benefit from using the school grounds as a park, but because they still own the facility, the District maintains the property and factors the maintenance cost into the cost of the lease. They still want to make sure that it is
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taken care of properly.
Santa Cruz City Schools and the City of Santa Cruz have had a reciprocal use agreement that has been in place since the 1960’s. Under this agreement they can each use each other’s facilities free of charge. The City uses classrooms after hours for their programs, and the District uses the city pool, soccer fields, and civic auditorium. The City makes arrangements with the principal of the particular school that they would like to use. The school custodian helps lock and unlock doors for after-hours use.
Santa Cruz City Schools
(831) 429-3410
City of Santa Cruz
(831) 420-5030
Vashon Island, Washington
Vashon Island School District closed two primary schools (1-3 and 4-6) several years ago in order to build a new three-story elementary school. They demolished both fifty-year-old former school buildings because they were not earthquake safe. A separate, newer building that was at one of the sites was saved as it was in good condition. This building is now leased to a private school.
Through an inter-local agreement with the Vashon Park District, both former school sites are owned by the School District and maintained by the Park District. One site is used for a skate park and the other houses several baseball fields.
The Park District pays the School District $30,000 per year for the use of all of the District’s sites, including use of fields, classrooms and gyms. The Park District has access to all school buildings after 6:00 pm (except the computer lab). It is the responsibility of the Park District to hire an on-site facilities employee to handle after-hours security, locking and unlocking facilities, etc. The $30,000 covers the cost of toilet paper and paper towels, and wear-and-tear incurred by community use. The Vashon
Community Council uses the elementary school’s multipurpose room for their council meetings. Arrangements for this type of community use are made through the Park District. The agreement is renewed every three years.
Vashon Island School District is the second best school district in the state of Washington, second only to Bainbridge Island School District. They are experiencing
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escalating real estate prices, but so far have seen steady enrollment due to an influx of kids commuting from Seattle/Tacoma area to attend smaller Vashon Island schools. The District draws approximately 75 kids annually from outside the area.
Vashon Island School District
(206) 408-8100
Vashon Park District
(206) 463-9602
“My favorite thing about the playground is sliding down the slide and rolling down the hill.” -- Tali, age 3
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Chapter Five - Other Ideas Generated by the Task Force
Other Ideas Generated by the Task Force
“I like swinging best.” -- Adelle, age 3
Many other ideas came out of the Task Force, including several ideas regarding expanding the Ashland Schools Foundation’s (ASF) fundraising role. ASF’s fundraising currently nets approximately $250,000 - $300,000 per year. ASF’s endowment is currently $200,000. Lake Oswego School Foundation, by comparison, has a $1,000,000 endowment. The Task Force discussed the possibility of an ASF credit card, grant writer, and increased marketing of ASF’s e-scrip and bequest programs.
Likewise, the Task Force felt that the role of the Ashland Parks Foundation should be expanded. The Task Force would like to see the Ashland Parks Foundation take the necessary steps to heighten the visibility of the foundation and increase the role that the foundation plays in supporting Ashland parks.
The Task Force also felt that the role that the community plays in supporting schools and parks, although already excellent, should be expanded. Community participation with grounds maintenance and within the schools should be even more strongly encouraged. Each parent could be assigned a responsibility at the beginning of the school year. Parents in each class could be responsible for weeding and picking up litter within a particular area of a school. Community groups could be invited to “adopt-a-playground” to help with litter control, sweep up broken glass, report vandalism, etc.
The Task Force also thought that to an extent, students could be expected to contribute to the upkeep of their schools. Different grade levels at each school site could take turns helping with grounds maintenance such as weeding and picking up litter for a month at a time on a rotating basis. Landscaping courses could also be offered at Ashland High School.
The possibility of utilizing Southern Oregon University’s Master Gardeners Program for district landscaping design was also discussed.
“My favorite thing is the Heffalump trap (a.k.a. the geodesic dome). -- Sophie, age 2
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Resources
Resource A
Development and Use Agreement for School Parks, Town of Danville, California and San Ramon Valley Unified School District
Resource B
Schools & Parks Developing Partnerships
[1] “Designing Heart-Healthy Communities,” G. Cowley and K. Springen, Newsweek, October 3, 2005, Volume CXLVI, No. 14, pg.60.
[2] See footnote 1.