Long story short
The interlocal agreement between city officials, the nonprofit San Antonio Sports and district officials allowed for the use and development of public school grounds into neighborhood parks. The program began on Aug. 20, 2012 and included a series of enhancements, such as a school park gate, workout equipment, shade structures over existing playgrounds, tables and benches.
During the presentation Deb Caldwell, NEISD interim chief operations officer, said the locations will remain open to the public.
“The San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department is sunsetting the SPARK program, meaning it will no longer be an item in the city budget,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell said that five of the agreements have expired with another set to expire in April 2025. She also noted that if the district decides to renew these agreements it would only be with San Antonio Sports.
Though the agreement is ending, District 9 officials have offered to pay for the installation of turf for the playground at Hidden Forest Elementary School.
Multiple trustees expressed concern on the cost of upkeep on these playgrounds after the deal with the city expires. Due to these concerns, the board of trustees did not make a decision on whether or not they would accept District 9’s offer of installing new turf at Hidden Forest Elementary School.
About the program
