MVWSD remains committed to protecting public access to school fields after school hours.
At last night’s Board of Trustees meeting, MVWSD presented solutions that resolve the last two sticking points in an agreement between the City and the school district about how school fields are maintained and rented. The Board of Trustees’ solutions reflect best practices from neighboring cities.
“I am really excited that we found solutions to maintain this long-standing partnership between the City and School District. Considering that negotiations on the concepts have been completed, it appears that both organizations can sign off by our next meetings,” said Board President Laura Ramirez Berman.
“While this agreement may not be perfect, it will preserve a valued partnership in our community. Future collaboration will allow us to solve any issues that come up so that we can protect the community's access to these important spaces.”
The agreement delineates how the residents of Mountain View access approximately 88 acres of land after school hours in exchange for ongoing field maintenance. One of the many benefits for residents is the below-market rate rentals of school fields for youth and adult sports.
“MVWSD is dedicated to preserving the community’s use of these shared green spaces,” said Superintendent Dr. Ayinde Rudolph. “We encourage the City to follow a similar approach and start the needed healing in our community.”
MVWSD’s proposed solutions align with the City’s publicly stated goals for the agreement. Now that common ground has been found, the last step to complete the agreement is to finalize the language. MVWSD’s suggestions will result in more objective criteria for recognizing organizations that apply to use fields. The suggestions would also update field rental practices and fees to provide more transparency. The City of Sunnyvale’s policy is an example.
Since 1959, the City of Mountain View and Mountain View School District/the Whisman School District/MVWSD have enjoyed a Joint Use Agreement for sharing school-owned green space after school hours. To view the presentation, click here.