The ideas will flow like water on the Aquatic Center slide today
at a meeting among the Morgan Hill Parks and Recreation commission,
Superintendent Dr. Wes Smith and community members. The Parks and
Recreation committee want to meet Dr. Smith and brainstorm on how
the schools and the city might collaborate as budgets wane for both
the city and school district.
The ideas will flow like water on the Aquatic Center slide today at a meeting among the Morgan Hill Parks and Recreation commission, Superintendent Dr. Wes Smith and community members.
The Parks and Recreation committee want to meet Dr. Smith and brainstorm on how the schools and the city might collaborate as budgets wane for both the city and school district.
“There are so many different areas that we can do things if we put our minds to it,” said Katie Hardt-Mason, a Parks and Recreation chairperson. “We want to see what we can do for each other.”
Hardt-Mason said that since money is strapped for the Morgan Hill Unified School District and the city, why not share resources?
The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday in the City Council Chambers. The Parks and Recreation committee will also address its other agenda items at the meeting.
Parks and Recreation board member Marty Cheek said he knows there are people in the community who have good, collaborative ideas for the school and the city, such as how the department might share its use of tennis facilities or develop a tutoring and arts programs for the town’s youth.
Newly formed nonprofit, Volunteer Morgan Hill, will have representatives at the meeting as well. President Victor Gaxiola said that he’s excited by the idea of partnering with the city to see how they can help one another. The nonprofit stems from the Leadership Class of 2009 with a vision is to become a volunteer clearinghouse for nonprofits to use.
The idea behind the joint effort of the school district and the city is that money would not be a factor in the discussion, but rather trading resources for resources.
“We want everything going at the level that we have now,” Hardt-Mason said, adding that so many facilities can be used for school and city purposes better than they might be shared now.
Previously, the relationship between the school district and Parks and Recreation Department has been a designated liaison from each, but communication hasn’t been as great as some might like, Hardt-Mason said, but not at the fault of any one person. She said once a new superintendent was hired, the committee jumped at the chance to build a relationship, which will begin with Tuesday’s meeting.
Hardt-Mason and Cheek both have ideas on how to link volunteerism with the schools with several projects in mind, something Volunteer Morgan Hill could help facilitate.
“There’s a good volunteer spirit in Morgan Hill,” Cheek said. He suggested assigning high school students to help fill bark at different parks around town to fulfill their civics requirement and Hardt-Mason is interested in developing ties with community sports programs.
Better communication between the two could “benefit everyone in town,” Cheek said.
With deficits in the millions at both the city and school district level, sharing, not spending, isn’t such a bad idea, Hardt-Mason said.
WHAT: Parks and Recreation committee meet/discuss collaborative ideas with Superintendent Dr. Wes Smith
WHERE: Morgan Hill City Council Chambers, 17555 Peak Avenue
WHEN: 7 p.m. March 16
