Joint Use of Public Schools: A Framework for a New Social Contract

This concept paper presents a framework for joint use of public school facilities among public and private entities. Across the country, school districts are increasing the use of their buildings and grounds by allowing access to non-school users, especially during non-school hours. However, parties interested in utilizing school facilities or partnering in their development often find that school districts can be challenging collaborators. To facilitate joint use arrangements, school districts need a better understanding of the benefits of expanded use of public schools. This paper offers a typology for joint use and joint development, describes the factors driving demand for joint use, presents the advantages of joint use and development, and identifies the obstacles to increasing access to and developing public school buildings and grounds.

Authors: Mary Filardo, Jeffrey M. Vincent, Marni Allen, Jason Franklin