Partnering with Schools to Expand Parks Access

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) offers a large and diverse park system that includes gardens and arboretums, nature centers and natural areas, swim beaches, pools and splash pads, community centers, performance arts venues, sports fields, and multi-use trails. To enhance equitable access to these facilities, DPR is partnering with more than 560 schools to provide over 450,000 students access to the outdoors, nature education, and recreational programming.

Specifically, DPR has developed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) program to align with state law and provide clear, mutually beneficial agreement terms to maintain its longstanding partnership with schools. DPR has proactively reached out to all school districts and has held in person and virtual informational meetings and continues to partner with Los Angeles County Office of Education to outreach to superintendents and school districts to engage them in the MOA program.

Local school districts have a long history of partnering with DPR. Currently, DPR has several joint use agreements or arrangements in place with school districts across L.A. County to provide enhanced access to parks and recreational facilities. For example, completed in 2022, the Greater Whittier Regional Aquatic Center was made possible through a partnership between DPR and the Whittier Union High School District. DPR is also partnering with the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District to develop a new aquatic center in the San Gabriel Valley.