Using policy to promote community use of schools

On November 15, Communities Putting Prevention to Work invited Dr. John Spengler from the University of Florida to discuss his research on school joint-use agreements (recently published as “Policies to Promote the Community Use of Schools: A Review of State Recreational Use Statues,” in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine).

Dr. Spengler outlined the different types of joint and shared use agreements that school districts and communities can adopt, and discussed the benefits and challenges facing these partnerships.

Strong relationships exist between policy issues, characteristics of natural and built environments, and personal levels of physical activity. Joint-use agreements can create or improve safe places for people to be physically active.




School districts and communities weighing joint or shared use agreements must address real and perceived barriers related to:

• liability


• maintenance


• vandalism and crime


• scheduling, and


• costs associated with normal operations (staff time, utilities, etc.).

Among the benefits of thoughtful joint-use agreements — beyond the obvious benefits of providing safe places for community members to be physically active — school districts and communities cited increased community collaboration and strengthened ties between schools and families.

To hear a recording of this call, please dial toll free (888)567-0476. The entire call lasts approximately one hour.

Online resources:

- Public Health Law & Policy’s Joint-Use Toolkit
- NPLAN (National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity) Joint Use Resources , including checklists for developing joint-use agreements, model joint-use agreements, primers on liability, etc.
- Unlocking the Playground: Achieving Equity in Physical Activity Spaces from the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network



What experiences, if any, do you or other members of your coalition have working with school districts to craft joint-use agreements?