Manettee County Commissioner Seeks to Open Playgrounds During After School Hours

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According to a February 2013 article from the Bradenton Herald, Manatee County Commissioner Michael Gallen announced that all 33 elementary schools in Manatee county would be open to the public during non-school hours. A committee comprised of school board members and county officials made the decision to leave school playgrounds open. School board members said that they would speak to principals to implement this new policy and address any concerns they might have.

According to the Bradenton Herald, Gallen has been proactive about finding safe places of recreation for the community to use during after school hours. He says that although school playgrounds are considered open space under the county’s comprehensive plan, it is still up to each principal to open the playground up to the public.

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According to a January, 2013 article, two Manatee schools–Tillman Elementary, and Lincoln Middle School–agreed to allow their school grounds to be used during after school hours. Gallen hoped that the County of Manatee would be able obtain a grant from the Manatee County Healthy Department so that more school playgrounds would be opened during nonschool hours. He also hoped that incentives for schools participating in shared use agreements would be made available through the state.

According to a Feb. 6, 2013 article, Manatee county officials were considering whether or not to apply for a $30,000 grant from KaBOOM!–a non-profit organization that works to provide playgrounds for children. The grant would encourage joint use agreements between Manatee County and its school districts. However, officials from both the school board and the county are concerned about some of the terms specified in the grant application, and about the sponsorship that KaBOOM! receives from Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. In spite of these challenges, County Commissioner Michael Gallen hoped that Manatee County would be about to “work through this.”