Working Together Saves Tax Dollars - (park district+schools)

Partnerships at Work
park district + schools

Working Together Saves Tax Dollars

by Nancy Chamberlain

My Webster's unabridged defines cooperate as "working together toward a common end." It just makes sense for governmental agencies to cooperate in order to give residentsthe best value for their tax dollars. That philosophy has beenthe guiding force for the Arlington Heights Park District andother local agencies. Here are some examples involving thelocal schools.

Elementary school districts 25 and 59 provide facilities for the park district's before- and after-school program known asC.A.P. (Children At Play), while the park district provides the staff. Currently the C.A.P. program is held at eight schools with program fees paid to the park district. This seven-year-old program was initiated in response to parental requests. The district also offers after-school art and sports programs at Olive School.The gymnasium at Juliette Low School is available for our programs on evenings, weekends, holidays and during the summer in exchange for custodial fees.

School District 23 and the park district jointly constructed the gymnasium at Betsy Ross School. Since park districts never have sufficient gym space for athletic programs, this cooperative effort gave us the use of a new gym on evenings and weekends while the school got the increased space they needed. Asimilar agreement with School District 21 resulted in both agencies building the gym at Poe School. Two agencies working together to build one facility is an obvious but excellent saving for residents. We've successfully worked other co-op deals with individual schools by providing playground equipment at parks adjacent to schools in exchange for use of open space during non-school hours; by maintaining school soccer fields in exchange for their use; and by paying for part of a school parking lot expansion which benefited both agencies.

Students at three Prospect Heights schools, which are in our park district boundaries, receive resident rates when they sign-up for park district classes. All children who attend public or parochial schools within our boundaries but reside in another park district are treated as residents.

With High School District 214, we jointly financed the construction of an indoor swim center which became our property. We set aside swim time for the high school in exchange for payment of a percentage of overhead and operating costs. The Community Education Department of 214 provides space for adult basketball and volleyball leagues which we organize and supervise.

A common challenge for most park districts is the meandering boundaries that are rarely coterminous with the cities and villages they represent. Most agencies have reciprocal agreements with neighboring districts for pool passes and programs. Arlington Heights recently formed a partnership with Mt. Prospect Park District and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District which will give residents four premier athletic fields, a playground and concession stand this summer.

Our park district board is proud of the partnerships forged with our neighbors and is ever on the lookout for ways to join forces with other community agencies to serve while saving.Working together is the ideal situation for any community. When intergovernmental agreements can be worked out, everyone benefits.

Nancy Chamberlain is the communications supervisor for the Arlington Heights Park District.

38 * Illinois Parks & Recreation * March/April 1996

Park District+Schools

Keys to Success

"It is important to create a win-winsituation so that all partners feel like they are gaining from the cooperative project," says Gerald Oakes, executive director of the Arlington Heights Park District. "Spread the credit around and give public recognition to all the other partners, and in the end everyone will want to partner with you. Finally, having a little money to spend on partnerships doesn't hurt at all.

Advice for Others

"In some communities, people just aren't sitting down and talking withe ach other," says communication supervisor Nancy Chamberlain. "We are lucky in Arlington Heights that our governments are truly looking out for the welfare of the community, instead of hidden agendas. The whole business of building one gymnasium for two to use is brilliant. You don't need one gymnasium for each street comer. If the school can use it during the day for sporting events and classes, we can use it on the weekends and weeknights for our classes."

How Many Partnerships Do You Have?

"Arlington Heights Park District has a total of 16 intergovernmental agreements," says Chamberlain. "Our first one was the Olympic pool partnerships with School District 216 in 1969. We have 4 with other park districts, 5 with school districts, 5 with the Village of Arlington Heights, one with theVillage of Mt. Prospect, one with theWater Reclamation District, and one with the U.S. Postal Service (parking spaces at Olympic pool for postal workers)."

Illinois Parks & Recreation * March/April 1996 * 39

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