New Guide Can Help Open School Property to the Public for Physical Activity
Nearly a third of U.S. kids and adolescents are overweight or obese, especially minority groups, including Latinos. Many are urged to get more exercise but can’t follow this advice very easily where they live. Schools, for instance, have many recreational facilities—gyms, soccer fields, tracks, basketball courts, playgrounds, even swimming pools—but they keep them closed after hours due to security, liability and maintenance concerns. But communities around the country are resolving these issues through what’s known as a joint use agreement: a written contract between a school district and, usually, a city agency, spelling out a formal arrangement that lets the two share the costs and maintenance and liability responsibilities. Playing Smart is a new nuts-and-bolts ...
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