Education City Examples: Community Schools and Joint Use Agreements

Broomfield, Colorado
(population 52,734)

Broomfield assesses a one dollar per square foot service expansion fee on all new residential construction.  The proceeds are dependent upon construction activity, and amounted to approximately $2.9 million total for 2003 and 2004.  These funds are used to provide joint-use facilities at area schools and for the community at large. The fee has allowed Broomfield to help school districts complete such projects as a new gym for the high school and athletic fields adjacent to elementary schools.  Broomfield has also successfully encouraged developers to dedicate elementary school sites to the school districts as part of development packages.

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Duarte, California
(population 22,165)

The city of Duarte and the school district have a very active, positive relationship. The city has agreed to a twenty-five year agreement in which it provides maintenance and landscaping for school grounds in exchange for the city having full use of school grounds for recreational programs after school hours.

The city and school district also partnered to pass a $44 million bond to improve five elementary schools, one junior high school, and two high schools.  The city also contributes money in a number of ways: it pays half the price to send eighth grade students up to Sacramento to learn how government works at the state level; it contributes money to help fund the annual high school musical; and it contributed over $300,000 during a three-year period to fund a reading program in the district.

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El Segundo, California
(Population 16,473)

Confronted with a major budget shortfall, the El Segundo Unified School District requested that the City of El Segundo's Library Department take over the administration of three local school libraries.  The city council and school district forged a joint affiliation agreement that specified the terms and conditions for operating the school libraries. 

This partnership has resulted in a better quality of library resources for the students of El Segundo, the elimination of duplicate materials in local libraries, and the sharing of books through a joint database.  The city purchases and processes all library materials with school funds, supplements new materials for school library collections, and maintains a shared online catalog, including all computer equipment needed to support the system.  The school district is responsible for all building maintenance and improvements, including facility remodeling and capital equipment.

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Fort Collins, Colorado
(population 118,652)

Fort Collins has an interagency agreement with the Poudre School District that facilitates joint use of park/school sites.  The school district uses the park for playing fields for the children before, during, and after school, and, in return, the public uses the school's parking facilities when school is not in session.  The shared parking lots save the city and school district about $50,000 per site.  The city and school district share the maintenance duties and irrigation costs for the sites.

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Lincoln, California
(population 39,566)

Lincoln and the Western Placer Unified School District have a collaborative program to jointly build and operate several public facilities, including a public library, public schools, recreational areas and a joint use City Hall/School District Administration building.  The program paved the way for the Zebra Housing Program, which utilizes school students to build affordable housing.  By combining resources, the two entities can build much larger facilities than could be afforded on their own.  Lincoln won a 2005 California League of Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence for the program.

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Los Banos, California
(population 34,717)

The Los Banos City Council and Los Banos Unified School District have entered into a joint-use agreement to build a new high school and gymnasium.  The city has agreed to sell 67.5 acres of land to the district for an unspecified amount, of which around $2 million will be used to construct a gymnasium at the school site. 

The city and community organizations will have access to the gym during particular hours.  The remaining money from the land sale will be used for future joint-use agreements.  Through the joint-use agreement, the district is hoping to receive an additional $2 million from the state.  California offers matching grants for projects that are jointly funded.  

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Medina, Ohio
(population 25,139)

The Medina Community Recreation Center (MCRC) was built in collaboration between the City of Medina and the Medina School District.  In 1997, the school district was looking to expand its high school and approached the city about becoming a partner in the expansion effort by including recreational facilities in the new high school.  To finance the project, the district and city campaigned together and pushed a bond to raise taxes 6.5 mills to generate $88 million to expand the high school and construct a new elementary school.  Over a two-year period, coffee forums were held to educate the community about the project.  Voters approved the bond in 1999 and the City of Medina secured a $7.5 million, 28 year loan to build the 107,000 square foot recreation center. 

The MCRC opened in January 2003 on the campus of the newly renovated high school.  In addition to recreation facilities, the new high school has a 1,200 seat auditorium made possible by grants from the state and a local foundation as well as through a partnership with the city’s Performing Arts Foundation.  The Medina Hospital operates a physical therapy branch at the center and plans to hold a series of five brown bag health lectures for recreation center members.  The hospital pays a rental fee for their use of the space. 

The city runs the recreation center but shares operating expenses with the school district.  The MCRC is open to its more than 10,000 members and the school district during all operating hours.

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Overland Park, Kansas
(Population 166,722)

The City of Overland Park and the Blue Valley School District built a shared facility that is an elementary school by day and a community center during after school hours and on weekends.  Faced with an increasing student enrollment, Blue Valley district officials worked in partnership with the city to build Tomahawk Ridge Elementary School on city-owned land.  However, in anticipation that enrollment would level, the district signed a 30-year lease for the school, and when it expires, the City of Overland Park will regain control of the building.  During non-school hours, community members use the facility’s gymnasiums, exercise equipment, and meeting rooms.

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Renton, Washington
(population 50,052)

Renton used the remodeling of a local high school as a cost-effective opportunity to create the Renton Community Performing Arts Center.  The renovation, funded by a levy and community donations, converted a wing of the school into a 550-seat state-of-the-art auditorium equipped with stage rigging, theatre lights, dressing rooms, a theatre manager's office, a ticket booth, public restrooms, lobby, shop, and additional parking. 

The project allowed the city to preserve a historic landmark while drawing additional traffic to the heart of the city, complementing downtown revitalization efforts already underway.  Basic operating costs are subsidized by the school district under a joint use agreement, and rental fees cover additional costs.  The total budget for the project was just under $5 million.  This project received the Municipal Achievement Award, Special Category - population over 40,000, presented by the Association of Washington Cities.

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San Marcos, California
(population 76,501)

After 10 years of planning, the City of San Marcos began construction on Hollandia Park in early 2007.  The 30-acre park adjacent to Mission Hills High School will house the city’s first skateboard park, two softball fields, a soccer field, an off-leash dog area, a playground, a picnic area, a 40-foot amphitheater, and 1.5 miles of multi-use trails.  During after school hours, the park will serve as a practice area for high school sports teams.  

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Tracy, California
(population 80,308)

In August 2007, construction began on a $5 million swimming facility that will be operated by the Tracy Unified School District in the winter and by the city in the summer.  The swimming complex will be open to students, the district, and the community.  Construction of the pool is being jointly funded by the city and school district, with the city contributing around $1.5 million. 

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Tualatin, Oregon
(population 25,650)

The Tualatin-Tigard School District encompasses both the City of Tualatin and the City of Tigard.  Councils from both cities meet periodically with the school board.  From these meetings, discussions began about a joint-use agreement between Tualatin and the school district for an artificial turf field.  In 2004, the City of Tualatin presented voters with an $8 million bond measure, with $4.2 million supporting the public library and the remaining $3.8 million for a green area and park enhancement, which included artificial turf for the high school football field. 

The bond measure was supported by the city council, Mayor Lou Ogden, the school board, and various community organizations.  The field was built in 2005 and although the school maintains ownership, the city took over scheduling and treatment of the field for non-school uses.  School sports teams, community members, and local sports clubs all have access to the new stadium.  The bond measure was also used to build a new 5K running path for joint use by the school and the city. 

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