A joint use agreement (JUA) is a formal agreement between two separate government entities–often a school and a city or county–setting forth the terms and conditions for shared use of public property or facilities. Just as there is no one model JUA, there is no single method to develop an agreement. Successful JUAs require a lot of thought, effort, and cooperation to reach agreement on a range of issues.

PHLP has developed a series of Model Agreements for Joint Use in California. You can download all four agreements below.

• Joint Use Agreement 1: Opening Outdoor School Facilities for Use During Non-School Hours (for California) is the simplest of the model joint use agreements. It is an agreement in which the community can use designated school district outdoor recreation facilities.

• Joint Use Agreement 2: Opening Indoor and Outdoor School Facilities for Use During Non-School Hours (for California) is a model agreement in which the community can use designated school district indoor and outdoor recreation facilities. 
• Joint Use Agreement 3: Opening School Facilities for Use During Non-School Hours & Authorizing Third Parties to Operate Programs (for California) is a model agreement in which the community can use designated school district indoor and outdoor recreation facilities, and it also allows for third parties, such as youth organizations or youth sports leagues, to operate recreation programs using school facilities. 

• Joint Use Agreement 4: Joint Use of District and City Recreation Facilities (for California) is a model agreement in which the school district and local government agree to open all or designated recreational facilities to each other for community and school use. It also allows for third parties, such as youth organizations or youth sports leagues, to operate recreation programs using school facilities.

You can also download national versions of the Model Joint Use Agreements.

Additional Joint Use Agreements resources include:

• Opening School Grounds to the Community After Hours, a toolkit for increasing physical activity through joint use agreements.
• Checklist for Developing a Joint Use Agreement (JUA) identifies issues for the parties to consider when developing a JUA to share existing facilities. 

• What Is a Joint Use Agreement? (Also available in Spanish) provides an overview of how city, county, and town governments can partner with school districts using joint use agreements.

• Liability for Use of School Property After Hours: An Overview of California Law explains the different protections afforded by California state law to help school districts minimize their risk of liability.

• Fifty-State Scan of Laws Addressing Community Use of Schools presents a scan of laws in each of the 50 states addressing community members’ use of school property for non-school purposes.

• Liability Risks for After-Hours Use of Public School Property: A 50-State Survey presents 50 memos designed to inform lawyers advising school districts that are considering whether to open their facilities for recreational use.
• Opening School Property After Hours: A Primer on Liability explains how state laws, insurance, and “joint use” agreements can help protect school districts from liability.