What is a Community School Park?
A community school park is a designated area on a school campus made available for public use for recreation and play during non-school hours, at no cost to the public. This community school park is made possible through a joint partnership between the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to provide access to school yards during the weekends in park deficient areas of the City. LAUSD provides access and RAP pays for the programming, staffing and maintenance.
Are Community School Parks Safe?
This community school parks program is a collaborative effort of the school principal, RAP, local non-profit organizations, and law enforcement to provide a safe place to play. RAP employs site monitors, who are generally from the local community and/or know the school, to open and close the school gates. As with many of our parks, during the hours they open, they will be monitored like a regular pocket park with city resources such as the Police Department or Park Rangers as needed. RAP is also ensuring that we maintain the cleanliness of the grounds during public use.
Will There Be Programs at These parks?
Recreation and Parks intends to provide periodic programming dependent on available resources. The program’s primary goal is to provide access for young kids to a playground and/or open space that is walking distance from home.
Why Is This School a Community School Park?
The Department of Recreation and Parks is dedicated to providing all residents with access to safe parks and open space within a 10 minute walk from home. Providing access to new recreational opportunities is particularly important in areas where fewer parks exist. To increase park access, the City has partnered with LAUSD to open some school playgrounds that are normally closed on the weekends to provide a safe place to play. This school is located in an area where we want to increase those opportunities for the benefit of the community.
Who Supports Community School Parks?
This community school parks program is supported by the LAUSD Board of Education, the Department of Recreation and Parks, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. This program is also provided in partnership with Los Angeles City Councilmembers who support community school parks in their district!
What Is the Rainy Day Policy?
Decisions to suspend activities due to rainy weather will be made on a site by site basis. Generally, if it has rained enough to soak the field (standing water puddles) and/or make the playground slippery we will suspend activities for the day.
Can I Drop My Child Off At This School on the Weekend?
Like with any of our pocket parks or playgrounds in the city, we highly recommend that parents accompany younger children to the school on the weekends.
Can My Younger Sibling Participate in the Community School Program?
All community school park programs are for all community children ages 5-16. Program activities will be adjusted accordingly based on the ages of the participants.
If I Am Not Registered or the Class Says It Is Full Online, Can I Still Participate?
The more the merrier! We would like our classes to continue to grow throughout the semester. Registration can be done online or via a paper version onsite. Still will welcome all community members to participate in our programs.