In communities without JUAs, support may be needed, how JUAs can be initiated and maintained, and how the staff needed to develop and implement a JUA can be funded. Resources are available from organizations such as ChangeLab Solutions (changelabsolutions.org), Bridging the Gap (www.rwjf.org/en/research-publications/find-rwjf-research/2012/02/joint-use-agreements-creating-opportunities-for-physical-activit.html), Safe Routes to School National Partnership (saferoutespartnership.org), Public Health Law Center at William Mitchell College of Law (publichealthlawcenter.org) and Center for Cities and Schools (citiesandschools.berkeley.edu/joint-use.html). The fact that so many districts do not have JUAs indicates the need to remove obstacles to such agreements and to promote the benefits of such agreements. The elimination of “silo planning” between districts and other government officials and conscious action to build relationships and combat separate bureaucracies that may not be structurally set up for cooperation could be helpful (1,6,7,11). Some districts may lack staff with experience in implementing AEDs, and they may be reluctant to try them (7:11). The design of some public schools may not be easily adapted for community use (1,4,7), and the lack of parking and recreational infrastructure (4,6,7) limits the possibilities of using these facilities for many schools. Anticipating sharing in the planning of new school buildings or renovations and in the development of community parks and other infrastructure could facilitate the sharing of facilities (1,4,6,7). Stein 2015a – Stein A, Baldyga W, Hilgendorf A, et al. Challenges in Promoting Joint Use Agreements: Experiences of Community Transformation Grant Winners in North Carolina, Illinois and Wisconsin, 2011-2014. 2015;12(E51):1-7. a Among districts with an answer to the question of formal community use agreements (N = 616).
Values of n do not add up to 616 if information on district characteristics is missing.b Weighted Population Estimate. Maddock 2008 – Maddock J, Choy LB, Nett B, McGurk MD, Tamashiro R. Improving Access to Places for Physical Activity through a Shared Use Agreement: A Case Study in Urban Honolulu. Prevention of chronic diseases. 2008;5(3):A91. Sharing or sharing public school facilities allows the community to access facilities for a variety of purposes. Sharing may result from an informal agreement (e.B. Activation of schoolyards) or a formal agreement or contract, e.B. between 2 government agencies or a government agency and a private party (1.2). Opening schools to physical activity is a tool in the fight against obesity and chronic diseases (1,3-5); However, schools may also provide space for other uses, para.
B e.g. continuing education, childcare or health services (1). Joint Use Agreements (AGAs) may include the use of a public or private facility in the vicinity of a school (1.6-8), paras. B example a public park, a private gymnasium, a performing arts centre, a library or a health clinic. CDC-JUA Health Equity – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Joint User Agreements (JAs): Why is it a health equity issue? School sharing builds on existing infrastructure (1.3-7.9) and can encourage support for education and educational institutions among community members without school-aged children (about 55% of households), as they find that tax revenues benefit them (4,7,10). Common barriers to establishing a formal JTA include insufficient partnerships between school districts and potential cooperation partners (6.7), insufficient institutional capacity to support sharing coordination (7.11), exaggerated accountability concerns (12.13), and costs associated with increased facility utilization (1,3,6,7,14). Many communities lack safe and adequate places for children to play. Although they have a variety of recreational facilities, many school districts close their property to the public after work because they have concerns about vandalism, maintenance, and liability. Through a shared use agreement, your city or county can work with the school district to address these concerns and open these playgrounds. This study has several limitations. First of all, this data is based on self-declarations.
It is not possible to establish an under-declaration or over-registration of the existence or content of the UF, nor a misclassification of the characteristics of school districts. Second, SHPPS did not analyze district JUAs or examine barriers or incentives to implement JUAs. Third, SHPPS inquired about JUAs for school or community use. It was not possible to determine the percentage of agreements on the shared use of school assets relative to other community assets. Fourth, among districts with a JUA, SHPPS did not investigate the proportion of schools in districts to which a JUA agreement applied, nor did SHPPS investigate the extent to which community members use school facilities because of the JUA. Finally, formal JARs are likely an underestimate of the extent to which schools are available to the community, as districts without JUAs may still allow shared use of school facilities. Carlton 2017* – Carlton TA, Kanters MA, Bocarro JN, et al. Recreational sharing and physical activity agreements in North Carolina public schools. Preventive medicine. 2017; 95 (2017): S10-S16. Playing Smart, a guide to opening school property to the public through well-designed sharing agreements.
Shared use agreements are agreements between two or more facilities – usually a school and a city or private organization – to share indoor and outdoor spaces such as gyms, sports fields, and playgrounds. The concept is simple: share resources to reduce costs and keep communities healthy. A partnership between the City of Greenbelt and Greenbelt Homes Inc. has resulted in joint user agreements between the City and homeowners` associations that allow for broader public access to non-urban playgrounds. Since 2014, Arkansas, California, Kansas and Texas have passed laws to allow or promote school facility sharing agreements (NCSL Winterfeld 2014a). The Arkansas Statewide Joint Use Agreement Grant Program has funded 152 Joint Use Agreements in 60 school districts since its launch in 2009 (CDC-JUA spotlight AR). Sharing, sharing, open use or shared use agreements allow the public access to existing facilities by establishing conditions for sharing the costs and risks associated with expanding the use of a property. Public, private, or non-profit organizations such as schools, colleges, community and senior centers, government agencies responsible for unused or unused public land, religious organizations, hospitals, the military, or mixed-use development projects can create shared use agreements to allow the community to access their property before or after work. Shared use agreements can be formal (i.e., based on a written legal document) or informal (i.e., based on historical practice) and tailored to the needs of the community (ChangeLab-Gladstone 2018). By opening facilities for community members and linking opportunities for youth to physical activity opportunities in school gymnasiums, sports and sports facilities, municipal fitness and sports facilities, and parks and playgrounds, sharing agreements improve access to physical activity sites (NPAP, AHRQ HCIE-Martin, FSUW-Shared use 2014). Shared use agreements can also increase physical activity, especially in low-income communities (ALR-Spengler 2012, ALR-Disparities 2011, NPAP, Maddock 2008, CDC-JUA Health Equity). The establishment of organized physical activity programs and sharing arrangements can significantly increase facility utilization (DeFosset 2016*; Lafleur 2013), also in rural areas (Carlton 2017*).
School grounds safety perceived by community members is also associated with increased use of the facility (DeFosset 2016*). Too often, children find their school`s black roof or basketball court door locked after school, excluding them from opportunities to be active. The closure of after-school recreation facilities is making it difficult for many children and families to integrate physical activity into their daily routines. You may live in an area without a nearby park, or you can`t afford to use exercise equipment or a gym membership. In underserved communities, schools may be the only safe place for residents to recover. Sharing agreements offer the opportunity to reduce a person`s need for additional transportation and increase physical activity. .