Playing Smart: A New Guide to Help Communities Open the Schoolyards

This is a nuts-and-bolts guide to opening school property to the public through well-crafted joint use agreements (written contracts spelling out terms that allow public agencies and nonprofits to share the costs and responsibilities). This guide helps cities and towns resolve concerns about security, liability, maintenance, and other costs so that communities can benefit from local school facilities, like gyms, fields, basketball courts, and playgrounds during non-school hours.