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41 <br />Attachment 1 <br />MEMORANDUM <br />To: Carrboro Board of Aldermen Chapel Hill-- Carrboro City Schools Board of <br />Chapel Hill Town Council Education <br />Hillsborough Board of Commissioners Orange County Schools Board of Education <br />Mebane City Council <br />Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />From: Intergovernmental Parks Work Group <br />Date: March 4, 2014 <br />Re: Resolution Supporting Community Use of School Facilities for Recreation <br />On December 11, 2013, the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group approved the attached <br />resolution, which is the accumulation of several years of discussion on the topic of enhancing <br />the ability of the greater community to access and use public school facilities for recreation <br />purposes. <br />While there is a history of local recreation programs using individual school facilities on an ad <br />hoc or annual basis, there is no formal mechanism to provide for this use as a matter of policy <br />for both local governments and the school systems. Across the state and the nation, many local <br />governments and public school systems have worked together to make a vast array of public <br />school recreation facilities available for community or public use when not in use by school <br />activities. This concept has allowed many locales to avoid unnecessary duplication of facility <br />construction. In 2008, a set of proposed guiding principles were developed and shared with the <br />local governments and school systems, and then were adopted by all of the local government <br />boards in the county. These principles laid the foundation for the resolution that is attached and <br />is commended here for your consideration. <br />This resolution is also consistent in its intent with the recent modifications to facility use policies <br />by both school systems., These modifications have helped to clarify and elaborate on <br />opportunities for local recreation programs to use school playing fields or gymnasiums. <br />The resolution notes. the mutual benefits accrued to both schools and local governments by <br />community use of school facilities in promoting healthy lifestyles, teamwork and cooperation, <br />and other life skills, and that many of those who would benefit from greater community use of <br />school facilities for recreation are students at these schools. <br />The Intergovernmental Parks Work Group hereby recommends that each local government <br />board and school board consider and adopt the attached resolution, to formalize the intent of all <br />parties to promote prudent and reasonable cost community use of schools for recreation <br />purposes, as outlined in the resolution. <br />