Are most DCPS school fields closed to the public?

[Anonymous]

MT P resident here, I think the bigger problem is that Mt P doesn't have a playground, which is ridiculous given how many kids live in the neighborhood. Maybe closing the bancroft playground will provide more pressure to build a playground at that plot of land on Lamont. #amomcandream

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MT P resident here, I think the bigger problem is that Mt P doesn't have a playground, which is ridiculous given how many kids live in the neighborhood. Maybe closing the bancroft playground will provide more pressure to build a playground at that plot of land on Lamont. #amomcandream

Again, BTDT. If you raise the issue with DCPS, they will open the playground.

[Anonymous]

I know most DCPS have kitchens but are closed today. Was wondering how I could use them to make my turkey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know most DCPS have kitchens but are closed today. Was wondering how I could use them to make my turkey.

I think you're only humoring yourself by making this ridiculous comparison. DCPS, and most reasonable people, treat buildings and grounds completely differently from a policy perspective.

Although you don't sound like the type who would host a charity meal for the holiday season, you may be able to do that at a DCPS facility if you get proper permits in advance.

If you want to get some impromptu exercise after your big meal today and run around a track or kick a soccer ball on DCPS grounds, I hope you live in a nice neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Not sure why it is so hard for some people to understand that the job of public schools -- while first and foremost is to educate its current students -- is also to be a resource for the broader community.

Throughout my whole adult life, my voting place has been a public school. Community meetings are typically held at the local school. Some public schools house adult education classes in the evenings. Others host youth baseball and soccer leagues. When a disaster strikes, local governments use public schools as staging grounds to provide aid.

When I lived in Columbia Heights, I'd use the Cardozo track in the morning and I'd see a diverse group of people in the neighborhood getting exercise, which was an obvious public health benefit.

Public schools have an obligation to the public. If you don't want the public to use your school, send your kid to a private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why it is so hard for some people to understand that the job of public schools -- while first and foremost is to educate its current students -- is also to be a resource for the broader community.

Throughout my whole adult life, my voting place has been a public school. Community meetings are typically held at the local school. Some public schools house adult education classes in the evenings. Others host youth baseball and soccer leagues. When a disaster strikes, local governments use public schools as staging grounds to provide aid.

When I lived in Columbia Heights, I'd use the Cardozo track in the morning and I'd see a diverse group of people in the neighborhood getting exercise, which was an obvious public health benefit.

Public schools have an obligation to the public. If you don't want the public to use your school, send your kid to a private school.

Times have changed, community organizations cannot just book a room in a DCPS school, security has to be paid for, we now have metal detectors everywhere, and I live right next to Eastern and can't use it's track. Public Schools are schools not community centers, I don't think you get it... Use of any facility means that folks have to pay to keep it clean, undamaged, and safe...yes that grounds that your taxes paid for need money to keep them sinking into disrepair and so that your children can use them, nothing is free anymore...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know most DCPS have kitchens but are closed today. Was wondering how I could use them to make my turkey.

Actually, think this is a good point. Same for the classroom and office spaces and computers. Folks can't willy nilly come and use what they want!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know most DCPS have kitchens but are closed today. Was wondering how I could use them to make my turkey.

Actually, think this is a good point. Same for the classroom and office spaces and computers. Folks can't willy nilly come and use what they want!

I don't follow. Who is saying they can or should? Every school I know of requires permits and agreements with the school to use its buildings. But plenty of organizations do that.

[Anonymous]

Times have changed, community organizations cannot just book a room in a DCPS school, security has to be paid for, we now have metal detectors everywhere, and I live right next to Eastern and can't use it's track. Public Schools are schools not community centers, I don't think you get it... Use of any facility means that folks have to pay to keep it clean, undamaged, and safe...yes that grounds that your taxes paid for need money to keep them sinking into disrepair and so that your children can use them, nothing is free anymore...


I'm sorry that this is your world, but not all neighborhoods are like that.

[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.

There's a lot of conflation of fields and playgrounds in this thread. DCPS treats them quite differently. Tracks are also treated differently, the running lobby is strong and tracks are required to be available to the public.

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.

There's a lot of conflation of fields and playgrounds in this thread. DCPS treats them quite differently. Tracks are also treated differently, the running lobby is strong and tracks are required to be available to the public.

[Anonymous]

The DME had a task force on school facility community use that was convening monthly meetings. They seem to have petered out a few months ago without reaching any conclusions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why it is so hard for some people to understand that the job of public schools -- while first and foremost is to educate its current students -- is also to be a resource for the broader community.

Throughout my whole adult life, my voting place has been a public school. Community meetings are typically held at the local school. Some public schools house adult education classes in the evenings. Others host youth baseball and soccer leagues. When a disaster strikes, local governments use public schools as staging grounds to provide aid.

When I lived in Columbia Heights, I'd use the Cardozo track in the morning and I'd see a diverse group of people in the neighborhood getting exercise, which was an obvious public health benefit.

Public schools have an obligation to the public. If you don't want the public to use your school, send your kid to a private school.

In other places I've lived this has definitely the case. If you were to tell people that the school that their property taxes paid for could only be used by students, six hours a day, 180 days a year, you'd be laughed out of the room.

But I've also learned that a lot of things that work in other places don't seem to work in DC.

[Anonymous]

Dog owners are a problem everywhere, I think. We're in SoCal and there are constantly dogs running off leash ("oh don't worry he's friendly!" ) and crapping all over the place on the school fields. It's very annoying.

If we were in an urban area like DC and also had to worry about things like graffiti and condoms, I can understand why they'd close the school grounds entirely. It takes away a valuable community resource, but the resource is primarily supposed to be for the school kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why it is so hard for some people to understand that the job of public schools -- while first and foremost is to educate its current students -- is also to be a resource for the broader community.

Throughout my whole adult life, my voting place has been a public school. Community meetings are typically held at the local school. Some public schools house adult education classes in the evenings. Others host youth baseball and soccer leagues. When a disaster strikes, local governments use public schools as staging grounds to provide aid.

When I lived in Columbia Heights, I'd use the Cardozo track in the morning and I'd see a diverse group of people in the neighborhood getting exercise, which was an obvious public health benefit.

Public schools have an obligation to the public. If you don't want the public to use your school, send your kid to a private school.

In other places I've lived this has definitely the case. If you were to tell people that the school that their property taxes paid for could only be used by students, six hours a day, 180 days a year, you'd be laughed out of the room.

But I've also learned that a lot of things that work in other places don't seem to work in DC.

Don't forget before and/or aftercare, schools are used at least 9-10 hours a day.