title: Afterschool shared use of public school facilities for physical activity in North Carolina.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the status and common characteristics of shared use in public schools in North Carolina.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Responses (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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Schools 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism Management, Campus Box 8004, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States. Electronic address: mkanters@ncsu.edu.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kanters
authors.affiliation: Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism Management, Campus Box 8004, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States. Electronic address: jnbocarr@ncsu.edu.
authors.forename: Jason N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Bocarro
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Box 8203, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States. Electronic address: rhmoore@ncsu.edu.
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism Management, Campus Box 8004, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States. Electronic address: mffloyd@ncsu.edu.
authors.forename: Myron F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Floyd
authors.affiliation: Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism Management, Campus Box 8004, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States. Electronic address: tacarlto@ncsu.edu.
authors.forename: Troy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Carlton
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D009043:Motor Activity; D009657:North Carolina; D057766:Policy; D011203:Poverty; D011633:Public Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013177:Sports / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: After school; Joint use; Physical activity; Public schools; Shared use