Title
Mr. Melvoin - Connecting Communities: Expanding Community School Parks by Supporting Amendments to the Los Angeles City Charter (Res-003-26/27)
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Whereas, The Los Angeles Unified School District (District) is committed to providing safe and healthy environments by promoting joy and wellness for all students as illustrated in Pillar 2 of the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan;
Whereas, The District, as one of the largest landowners in the City of Los Angeles, has transformed campuses to ensure schools have safe and welcoming outdoor spaces for students to play. The District has completed numerous greening projects that reduce asphalt, increase tree canopy, and improve climate resilience. However, many communities still lack access to parks and green space;
Whereas, Lack of access to parks and green space disproportionately affects students in low-income neighborhoods and can lead to health, environmental, and social problems. Park-poor communities may suffer from higher rates of chronic illness, poor mental health, extreme urban heat, and have fewer safe places for children to play;
Whereas, A Community School Park (CSP) is a shared space on a school campus that welcomes community members to enjoy recreation and play during non-school hours-completely free of charge;
Whereas, School campuses across the country successfully operate as a CSP on weekends-where the school district maintains oversight during school hours and the city oversees park operations as part of its core duty to provide municipal parks;
Whereas, In Los Angeles, CSPs are created through a collaboration between the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) and the District, with a shared goal of bringing more safe, accessible outdoor spaces to all communities;
Whereas, The District commends the City of Los Angeles for its leadership and commitment to expanding CSPs and providing local neighborhoods with safe, accessible, and vital play spaces;
Whereas, In August 2025, the District and the City of Los Angeles entered into a Joint Powers Agreement that established a formal 10-year partnership for the CSP program. This agreement expanded the CSP program, safely opening selected schoolyards, playgrounds, and fields to the public for free weekend and holiday recreation. The District provides physical access to selected school campuses and facilities, while the City manages staffing, on-site supervision, recreational programming, and site maintenance;
Whereas, There are currently 12 CSPs in partnership with the City that are open to the public every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., providing residents with access to safe outdoor recreation outside of regular school hours;
Whereas, While structured City programming provides valuable benefits, community members primarily seek basic weekend access to play structures, and athletic fields on school grounds during non-instructional hours;
Whereas, The minimum cost for the City to operate a CSP is approximately $240 a day to cover maintenance and supervision. The City projects costs over $2,000 a day to operate a new Community School Park due to its additional programming costs;
Whereas, Community School Parks are widely celebrated by families and stakeholders alike for expanding neighborhood access to vital parks and green space on weekends. Many District campuses are located within neighborhoods identified by the City and the District as park-poor, making them ideal candidates for CSPs that expand equitable access to parks;
Whereas, Despite the District’s advocacy to expand CSPs and readiness to make hundreds of sites available, the City has not yet committed resources to open new sites, citing budget constraints. As a result, the Los Angeles community is missing a vital opportunity to expand park access;
Whereas, Proposed amendments to the Los Angeles City Charter will be presented to the voters in a ballot measure in November 2026. These changes include a proposed amendment to Section 593(a) of the Los Angeles City Charter that would increase the minimum Charter allocation for the Department of Recreation and Parks from 0.0325% to 0.065% of the assessed value of all property subject to City taxes. The increase would be phased in over ten years in equal annual increments and could be temporarily suspended during fiscal emergencies declared by the City Council; and
Whereas, Changes to the minimum allocation for the RAP budget could result in the establishment of additional CSPs; now, therefore be it
Resolved, The Los Angeles Unified School District (District) reaffirms its commitment to promoting joy and wellness for all students by advocating to open additional CSPs across the District as the most cost-effective way to increase park access;
Resolved further, The Governing Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District (Board) directs the District’s Office of Government Relations to support the proposed amendment to Charter Section 593(a)-appearing on the November 3, 2026 ballot-and advocate that the City reduce its operating costs per CSP and use additional funding to expand the number of CSPs across the District; now, be it resolved
Resolved, The District will report back to the Board on the status of the amendments to Charter Section 593(a) and expansion plan for CSPs;