Are most DCPS school fields closed to the public?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just went through this with our newly renovated school.

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/Track%20and%20Field%20Policy.pdf

Thanks. Curious if your school closed post-renovation too?

The playground was never open to the public before the renovation. Post-renovation, the community started a petition to have it open to the public. That petition was sent to the ward Councilmember and to DCPS. The school community, including admin, were against it considering there are several playgrounds within walking distance of the school, and there was already a problem with litter from folks that jumped the fence to hang out there. The issue finally came to a head with DCPS making the decision to have it open after hours and on weekends.

[Anonymous]

our nw school playground is open all weekend. there even seems to be an adult soccer league that uses the field early am on weekends. no problems with trash or loitering. all ok here!

[Anonymous]

About ten years ago, I and many other parents spend a long day of backbreaking labor installing a beautiful new playground donated to my daughter's charter school. It was initially open to the public. Within a couple of months, it had been vandalized, and litter was routinely everywhere on Monday morning. Everything was repaired, and it was locked at nights and on the weekend. The neighbors complained loudly, but I could not care less. It's not a public park, they have no right to use it. Talk to your neighbors' kids, the ones responsible for the vandalism and litter.

[Anonymous]

Teacher here. Before we started locking the gates, we had to send people out every morning to check the condition of the playground. I'd say at least twice a week we had to clean broken glass, beer bottles, condoms, feces, and urine off the equipment. People definitely complained, but we had no other options.

[Anonymous]

GTFO with your "but I'm a taxpayer."

Taxpayers cover the costs of Nationals park and cleaning Muriel Bowser's office every night and no expects to just hang out there at any hour of the day.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like it is a neighborhood thing. West of the park schools and many Capitol Hill schools are open and welcoming to the community. For the rest of us, a few idiotic people trash the playgrounds, and that's why we can't have nice things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GTFO with your "but I'm a taxpayer."

Taxpayers cover the costs of Nationals park and cleaning Muriel Bowser's office every night and no expects to just hang out there at any hour of the day.

Nobody is saying they have the right to go into a locked school building in the middle of the night or disturb a school function. We're talking about opening public fields on a Saturday afternoon so kids can simply kick around a soccer ball, just like they do at so many other public schools in the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GTFO with your "but I'm a taxpayer."

Taxpayers cover the costs of Nationals park and cleaning Muriel Bowser's office every night and no expects to just hang out there at any hour of the day.

Nobody is saying they have the right to go into a locked school building in the middle of the night or disturb a school function. We're talking about opening public fields on a Saturday afternoon so kids can simply kick around a soccer ball, just like they do at so many other public schools in the city.

Again, it's not a public park, and the neighbors can't be trusted to take care of the facilities.

And you're trying to draw a false distinction. Going into a locked school in the middle of the night and going onto a school playground on a Saturday is *exactly* the same thing - accessing school facilities for private use during off hours.

[Anonymous]

Our field is open, but our playground is locked.

[Anonymous]

This is really a shame. Maybe the neighbors who would like to use the field or playground could talk to the principal about doing a clean up every Monday morning or something? I agree that these facilities should be open to the public when school is not in session, but I also understand that the schools don't have the staff to deal with a lot of litter, vandalism, and the other problems listed above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GTFO with your "but I'm a taxpayer."

Taxpayers cover the costs of Nationals park and cleaning Muriel Bowser's office every night and no expects to just hang out there at any hour of the day.

Nobody is saying they have the right to go into a locked school building in the middle of the night or disturb a school function. We're talking about opening public fields on a Saturday afternoon so kids can simply kick around a soccer ball, just like they do at so many other public schools in the city.

Again, it's not a public park, and the neighbors can't be trusted to take care of the facilities.

And you're trying to draw a false distinction. Going into a locked school in the middle of the night and going onto a school playground on a Saturday is *exactly* the same thing - accessing school facilities for private use during off hours.

No, it is not *EXACTLY* the same thing. Playing fields and the schools buildings are considered differently. The default position of DCPS is to have fields open to the public. (from the policy below.) The default position for using a school building, like accessing an auditorium to hold an event, is to have a permit.

School Playgrounds

Permitted Hours and Activities
School playgrounds will be made available at no cost during the following days and hours when the regular school year is in session, other than on District holidays:

• Monday through Friday from 6:30A.M. to 8:00A.M. and from 3:30P.M. until dusk, but no later than 8:00P.M.;
• Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00A.M to 5:00P.M.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GTFO with your "but I'm a taxpayer."

Taxpayers cover the costs of Nationals park and cleaning Muriel Bowser's office every night and no expects to just hang out there at any hour of the day.

Nobody is saying they have the right to go into a locked school building in the middle of the night or disturb a school function. We're talking about opening public fields on a Saturday afternoon so kids can simply kick around a soccer ball, just like they do at so many other public schools in the city.

Again, it's not a public park, and the neighbors can't be trusted to take care of the facilities.

And you're trying to draw a false distinction. Going into a locked school in the middle of the night and going onto a school playground on a Saturday is *exactly* the same thing - accessing school facilities for private use during off hours.

No, it is not *EXACTLY* the same thing. Playing fields and the schools buildings are considered differently. The default position of DCPS is to have fields open to the public. (from the policy below.) The default position for using a school building, like accessing an auditorium to hold an event, is to have a permit.

School Playgrounds

Permitted Hours and Activities
School playgrounds will be made available at no cost during the following days and hours when the regular school year is in session, other than on District holidays:

• Monday through Friday from 6:30A.M. to 8:00A.M. and from 3:30P.M. until dusk, but no later than 8:00P.M.;
• Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00A.M to 5:00P.M.

AND the default policy gives discretion to principals to deviate from the policy and keep them locked.

In wealthy areas with less crime or public alcohol and drug use the playgrounds and fields tend to stay open 24/7. In less affluent areas, they may not be open because it requires too many resources to clean them every morning before school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is really a shame. Maybe the neighbors who would like to use the field or playground could talk to the principal about doing a clean up every Monday morning or something? I agree that these facilities should be open to the public when school is not in session, but I also understand that the schools don't have the staff to deal with a lot of litter, vandalism, and the other problems listed above.

+1

The schools I've lived near have generally been open to the public when school is not in session, which I think is great. But if the public use of the playground is causing problems for the school, then I totally understand why they would lock the gate. I'd talk to the principal and ask what the issues are and try to find solutions.

[Anonymous]

LMAO at "but at what cost?" in OP's post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is really a shame. Maybe the neighbors who would like to use the field or playground could talk to the principal about doing a clean up every Monday morning or something? I agree that these facilities should be open to the public when school is not in session, but I also understand that the schools don't have the staff to deal with a lot of litter, vandalism, and the other problems listed above.

+1

The schools I've lived near have generally been open to the public when school is not in session, which I think is great. But if the public use of the playground is causing problems for the school, then I totally understand why they would lock the gate. I'd talk to the principal and ask what the issues are and try to find solutions.

This. How can anyone argue that playgrounds that have been trashed should be open to the public?

There are lots of schools that don't have this problem - go ahead and drive to one of them. Upper NW is your best bet.