Afterschool shared use of public school facilities for physical activity in North Carolina

• Most schools share facilities afterschool and require formal agreements.
• Shared playgrounds and track facilities are more likely informal.
• Schools with a greater concentration of Black students were less likely to share their facilities.
• The most common barrier to school shared use was outside groups have not asked.

ObjectiveTo determine the status and common characteristics of shared use in public schools in North Carolina.MethodAll public school principals (N = 2,359) in North Carolina were invited to participate in an online survey (February – May, 2013) designed to provide baseline information about the extent and nature of shared use of school facilities.ResultsResponses (n = 1182, 50.1%) indicated that most schools share their facilities (88.9%). Formal agreements were more common when schools shared gyms and outdoor athletic fields. Informal agreements were most common with playgrounds and track facilities. Schools with more low income or Black students were less likely to share facilities. For schools that did not share use of their facilities the most frequent reason was no outside groups had ever asked.ConclusionSchools may be more accommodating to shared use partnerships. Community organizations seeking to use indoor school facilities or athletic fields should be prepared to complete a formal written agreement. Preconceived notions that schools are unwilling to share their facilities may be preventing community organizations from initiating shared use inquiries. Schools located in the middle tier of economic distress and schools with a greater concentration of Black students were less likely to share their facilities.