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Parks & Recreation’s request to use school gyms prompts scheduling concerns at Manchester School District
Summary
District athletic staff briefed the committee on a Parks & Recreation request to use school facilities. Staff said logistical gaps — separate scheduling tools (RecDesk vs. BigTeams), limited field/gym space, attendant and lighting costs — must be resolved before any agreement; item presented as information-only and will go to the finance committee.
District athletic staff summarized a meeting with Parks & Recreation about expanding city recreational programming inside school facilities. Parks staff (Forrest, Mark Gomez and Bridal Lynch) asked to use gyms and fields; Christine said Parks uses RecDesk to display 39 city fields while the district uses BigTeams to schedule athletics, and the two calendars are not integrated.
"Parks has a software program called RecDesk... It has every field in the city of Manchester," Christine said. "For us, if we need a space right away, I can go on there and say, okay. I see that Piscataqua — no one's using the park at 2 to 3. Can we use it from 2 to 3? I can't make any changes, but I can see it." The lack of a shared scheduling platform, staff said, creates the risk that rentals or Parks bookings could conflict with school practice, game, or event needs.
Committee members voiced support for maximizing facility use but urged caution. Members asked for details on attendant coverage, lighting costs and whether the district would be charged for classroom electricity or other incidental costs when Parks programs used school space after hours. The district said Parks’ proposal was presented to the committee as "information only" because no full agreement or resolution had been drafted; the matter is slated for the finance committee tonight.
Members recommended a working team that includes athletics, principals and facilities staff to develop a logistics plan (shared calendars, custodial/attendant hours, costs, and clear conflict-resolution steps) before any action item is scheduled.
(Reporting note: Parks staff and some district staff were named in the transcript; some committee members and district staff spoke only by role or first name.)
