Are most DCPS school fields closed to the public?
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Anonymous
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I live in Mount Pleasant and for more than a decade my family has used Bancroft playground as our local playground. There really isn't any other playgrounds in the neighborhood and its the playground my kids have grown up on.
After about two years of being closed for construction, Bancroft re-opened to students this fall -- but not to the community. The playground that was once accessible to all is now locked on evenings and weekends. I've tried to figure out why, and the best answer I could get was that Bancroft isn't a public park and has no obligation to open to community. The principal also claims most other DCPS schools, especially ones that have been recently renovated, are also locked on weekends. Is this a new trend? I've lived in the city a while and have been to many elementary school playgrounds on weekends. Have I just been to the handful that are unlocked? I'm curious because I don't know if taxpayers would be as supportive of all the DCPS school renovations if they knew those grounds would no longer be available for community use. In Mount Pleasant at least the local elementary school used to serve as a really wonderful community meeting place where an extremely diverse mix of people came together. I understand Bancroft and other schools have had issues with vandalism in the past and I'm sympathetic to the need to protect the school grounds for the students. But at what costs? |
Anonymous
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Some are locked and some are not.
Usually those that have suffered damage / litter / condoms / bottles are the ones that are closed (of course much of that happens overnight). DPR seems to have enough staffing to go and clean the rec center playgrounds (at least in our Ward 4 neighborhood) but our local elementary school does not. |
Anonymous
| Not sure about athletic fields but I believe the playgrounds are at the principals' discretion. One challenge is that if kids are dropped off before school begins, they may be playing unsupervised. Another at ours has been dog doo doo left on the playground. If you approach the principal in an understanding way, it may be possible to find a solution (like Saturdays only). But understand that keeping it clean and safe likely requires staff time before school each day, and it may not be in the budget. |
Anonymous
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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 |
Anonymous
| Dog owners are the reason many schools are closing their grounds on weekends. Too much poop and litter lying around. |
Anonymous
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So looks like the answer is 'it depends.'
From the policy posted above 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. Exceptions: School playgrounds will not be available when DCPS scheduled activities are using the facility during the times stated above. This includes extracurricular activities, or when entities or programs are granted access through a building use agreement or lease, as well as when the facilities are otherwise locked or closed to the public. Certain DCPS playgrounds are gated, locked, and unavailable to the public at certain times, including on weekends. |
Anonymous
Thanks. Curious if your school closed post-renovation too? |
Anonymous
Closed fields to the public, I mean. |
Anonymous
| Think about it - it’s supposed to be for the school first and others second. If nonschool users depreciate the asset, you’ll see yourself excluded. |
Anonymous
| A lot of fields adjacent to schools actually belong to the department of parks and recreation, so there are different rules for them. I agree it's frustrating. |
Anonymous
Sadly true |
Anonymous
| Of course school-related uses come first. But as a taxpayer I’ve always seen public schools as community assets. And I’ll continue to think that unless I no longer have to pay for them. |
Anonymous
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We are at a recently renovated school. So many people were using the school grounds and littering, that we ran out of custodial overtime in March. The principal has to close the playground.
We have also had a lot of trouble with dog owners on the field. The principal was sending the security guard out several times a day to keep the field safe for kids. My kid was chased on school field by an unleashed dog, and of course we got attitude from the white male owner when we noted he was breaking the law. |
Anonymous
| Ours used to be open but every other weekend someone would pull down one of the hoops/backboards so they had to close it before they were all ruined. |
Anonymous
| Most of the playgrounds on the Hill are open on weekends. |