Just What Is an SRA?

Special recreation associations or "SRAs" provide invaluable services to people with physical and mental disabilities

BY JOHN N. McGOVERN, CLP

Illinois is renown for many reasons: among them, Abraham Lincoln, The Magnificent Mile, U.S. Speaker of the House Dennis Hasten, and soybeans. Particularly in park and recreation circles, Illinois is known nationwide for its unique park district system and its equally unparalleled yet often misunderstood special recreation associations.

A special recreation association or "SRA" is a partnership of two or more park districts or municipalities formed to provide recreation for adults and children with disabilities and authorized by the Park District Code. Today Illinois has 26 SRAs made up of 142 park districts and 24 municipalities.

The first SRA, Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA), was formed in March of 1970. Park districts located in the northern Chicago suburban park districts realized that alone, they simply could not meet the leisure needs of children with disabilities in their districts. Having carefully watched the success of the recently formed special education cooperative, the Northern Suburban Special Education District, the park districts did what many of us do: they borrowed someone else's idea.

As park districts in Deerfield, Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, Kenilworth, Lake Bluff, Northbrook, Northfield, Winnetka, Wilmette, and other communities began discussions in 1969, three benefits to participation in a partnership were identified. First, NSSRA would reduce duplicative supervisory costs, allowing tax dollars to go to staff who could conduct programs. This would be accomplished by eliminating the need for a supervisor in every partner agency; instead, by using a NSSRA supervisor, more resources would go towards direct service staff.

Second, NSSRA would allow partner districts to serve people with a low incidence disability. The districts had already learned that if there are only four kids ages 10 to 12 with a certain disability in one district, it is hard to program for that group. But, if there are 4 in Wilmette, 7 in Glenview, 8 in Northbrook, 3 in Winnetka, 2 in Glencoe, and 7 in Highland Park, suddenly there are 31 kids ages 10 to 12 with a similar disability in a relatively close geographic area. That makes programming more likely to draw the needed minimum number of registrants.

Third, NSSRA would allow access to enhanced recreation options. For example, there is not a beach in Glenview. But through the partnership, Glenview kids with disabilities would participate in programs at a beach in Wilmette or Highland Park. And, kids with disabilities in Glencoe who want indoor skating can now get it through a partnership program in Northbrook.

Despite significant changes to the SRA model, these are still the key benefits of SRA involvement 30 years later.

The SRA Today

Although there is no typical SRA, they share some common characteristics. SRAs today provide specialized recreation services such as day camps, vacation trips. Special Olympics, before- and after-school programs, social programs, and other activities for people with disabilities. SRAs also provide information about accessible facility design or adaptive equipment, again in response to community demand.

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SPECIAL FOCUS

"We really do serve everybody," says Craig Culp, superintendent of recreation at the Maine-Niles Association for Special Recreation in Skokie (M-NASR), the second SRA formed, back in 1972.

Culp says M-NASR provides special services for ages 2 to 80-plus. "Our participants have physical disabilities, cognitive disabilities, sensory impairments, developmental disabilities like autism, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, cardiac conditions, and some of the so-called hidden disabilities such as diabetes and epilepsy."

A particularly valuable SRA service is transportation. Surveys of people with disabilities in Illinois confirm that the lack of accessible transportation is one of the greatest barriers to the use of public recreation services. SRAs combined provide hundreds of thousands of rides to and from programs. Many of the SRAs operate their own fleets, ranging in size from one to ten vehicles.

What Do SRAs Cost?

An SRA is an excellent example of local government cost-containment. The statutory levy maximum for funding SRA activities is 4 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation (EAV). The average levy by a park district or municipality in an SRA in this fund is just under 2 cents per $100 of EAV. As partnerships of local governments, the SRAs have adhered to the limits placed on the partners regarding property taxes.

How does this translate for the average homeowner? In Cook County, the owner of a $200,000 home pays an average of $6.40 in annual property taxes for the SRA. That figure rises in the collar counties to $13.20. Coffee for two at Starbucks is $6.40 and a pizza costs $13.20. Clearly, the SRA is an easily affordable cost which, when combined with the partner communities, yields a sum sufficient for a regional program.

However, costs for special recreation services could not be generated by one agency. Bob Pindar, director of the South East Association for Special Parks and Recreation (SEASPAR) in Downers Grove, explains: "The Village of Indian Head Park is the smallest SEASPAR partner and contributes $10,204 this current year. However, our total tax support this year is $702,413. And Indian Head Park residents have access to all the things we do that are supported by the total tax revenue, not just the $10,000 contributed by the village."

SRAs widely vary in size. Partnerships range from the two-district agreement in Champaign and Urbana to the 17 districts participating in the Northwest Special Recreation Association (NWSRA).

According to Charlene Holtz, an attorney for several districts: "SRAs reflect the similarities and the differences of the partner park districts. The partnerships naturally seek some homogeneity. But no one knows the optimal size.

"For some, 17 seems too big. But for those 17, it must be right or they would do it differently. Two is probably too small in a congested suburban area, but it is perfect for Champaign and Urbana."

That is a key advantage to the SRA model. Like an individual buying a pair of pants, the partnership picks a size that fits.

The Special Recreation Levy

The Park District and the Municipal codes include similar provisions that allow neighboring park districts and municipalities to join together to provide recreation for people with disabilities. The statutes offer the incentive of a funding vehicle for local governments that join together: a property tax can be levied for joint agreement purposes. Without a joint agreement, a park district cannot levy this tax.

This legislation was guided through the Illinois General Assembly in 1969 by then State Senator Harris Fawell. Now a retired member of Congress, Fawell considers this one of the best pieces of legislation in which he has been involved.

"Park districts wanted to serve people with disabilities and didn't have the resources to do it right," says Fawell. "The legislation we passed allowed them to do so in an efficient way and, importantly, with little burden on taxpayers.

"We did this because it was the right thing to do. It was not a response to a state or federal mandate. It was a result of a desire to something positive for Illinois residents."

John Hedges, director of the Park District of Oak Park, played a key role in convincing then Senate President Philip Rock of Oak Park to sponsor a change in the statute in 1987.

Says Hedges: "The tax rate ceiling was $.02 per $100 of EAV. The Joint Legislative Committee (an advocacy committee of the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association) found that most park districts and cities in an SRA were at their levy ceiling and were facing rising demand for service and a growing need to make recreation facilities accessible."

With the support of the Illinois Taxpayers Federation, the legislation passed the General Assembly and was signed into law by Governor James Thompson.

Park districts understand the importance of supporting recreation for people with disabilities with this levy authority.

According to Tom Richardson, director of the Glenview Park District and a member of the NSSRA board of directors for almost 20 years: "Next to park land itself, recreation programs for people with disabilities can be considered the soul of public recreation. This is the type of thing that was made for some form of tax support.

"Where better to use taxes from everyone than to help those with disabilities who don't have the same opportunities to enjoy activities which improve health and increase self-esteem?"

The Effect of the Tax Cap

Enacted in 1991, the Property Tax

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JUST WHAT IS AN SRA?

Extension Limitation Law or "tax cap" has affected all park districts and cities, and, ultimately, their SRA functions. The tax cap effectively limits the ability of a partner to increase SRA support.

As demand for recreation services has continued to rise, unfunded federal mandates—such as the sweeping Americans with Disabilities Act—have made park districts and cities aware of other costs. One such mandate is recreation "inclusion," whereby people with disabilities participate in programs alongside people without disabilities.

Says Liza McElroy, superintendent of recreation at Winnetka Park District and president-elect of IPRA: "Inclusion requires the Winnetka Park District to provide support such as extra staff, more training for staff, sign language interpreters, adaptive equipment, accessible transportation, home visits, and other modifications so that people with disabilities can choose our programs and participate alongside people without disabilities. We rely on our SRA (NSSRA) to guide us through this part of our programs.

"NSSRA spends $300,000 annually for inclusion in the form of wages for part and full-time staff and materials."

Another ADA-related mandate involves "accessibility," requiring programs in existing and new recreation facilities to be accessible to people with disabilities.

"Water parks, playgrounds, golf courses, transportation trails, racquetball courts, ice rinks, and restaurants have all been reviewed for accessibility here" says Jerry Handlon, director of the Schaumburg Park District.

"We understand our obligation to make these facilities accessible. We wish there was some way to address this unfunded mandate, because we do want people with disabilities in our facilities."

Handlon illustrates this desire with an access success story involving golf, in which a father and son were able to enjoy the game of golf like everyone else because the district owns an accessible golf car.

Legislation introduced the spring 1999 session by Senator Kathleen Parker addresses this problem. Senate Bill 345 excludes the special recreation levy from the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law aggregate, freeing it up for use in projects such as inclusion and accessibility.

"The bill was stalled in the Senate Revenue Committee because the Senate was concerned that a change for park districts and cities in an SRA could have a domino effect for other similar governmental partnerships," says Larry Reiner, director of the Northeast DuPage Special Recreation Association (NEDSRA).

"Kevin Kendrigan at Northwest Special Recreation Association, John McGovern at NSSRA, I and others are working with Senators Christine Radogno, Wendell Jones, Bill Peterson, and Kathy Parker this summer to examine this issue and come up with a solution, because our preliminary research shows no other governmental partnerships that function as SRAs do."

Variations to the SRA Model

"One of the great things about the SRA model is its flexibility to adapt to the community," says Chuck Balling, director of the Gurnee Park District. Balling served on the boards of traditional SRAs at SSSRA and at NEDSRA. While at the Elmhurst Park District, he was involved in contracting some special recreation services to the Ray Graham Association, a large nonprofit in DuPage County.

Says Balling: "Gateway was a way for the park district to do more inclusion in-house and privatize some of the special recreation function."

Balling admits that, like any other change from the status quo, there are advantages and disadvantages to the Gateway system. Today Balling is involved in another unique SRA. The Gurnee Park District is a partner in the Warren Special Recreation Association (WSRA).

"The Township wants to make sure all its residents with disabilities are eligible for services, since not everyone in the Township lives within a park district," says Brenda Meixelsperger, director of WSRA.

The Township contributes office space and other resources to the SRA operation in place of the property tax support provided by its partner park districts and villages.

The SRA of Tomorrow

The SRA model will continue to evolve as park districts and municipal recreation departments address other issues that fit into the broad group of disability issues. This includes recreation programs for at-risk youth, providing services to children and adults in their homes, and serving children and adults who not only have disabilities but are medically fragile. The spread of technology and the reduced cost of access to it make it certain that computers and the Web will be an integral part of SRA operations in the next three years.

As accessible design guidelines for recreation areas are completed, look for SRAs to do more training and technical assistance. Who better to ask about beach or playground access than the staff at the park district who work with people with disabilities?

The SRA model turns 30 in March of 2000. To everyone who shaped this valuable public service—legislators, park district or recreation board commissioners, employees and volunteers—thanks and congratulations! 

JOHN N. McGOVERN, CLP
is the executive director of the Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA). He is a member of the IAPD/ IPRA joint Legislative Committee and enjoys reading, writing and talking about the application of ADA to parks and recreation. He served as guest editor of this special SRA issue of IP&R magazine. All photos for this article courtesy of NSSRA.

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