The city and school district want to open Westside neighborhood school campuses to the community since there aren't many green spaces available. La Cumbre Junior High School, at 2255 Modoc Road, has sports fields, basketball courts, and a track. (Giana Magnoli / Noozhawk photo)
The city and school district want to open Westside school campuses to the community since there aren't many green spaces available. La Cumbre Junior High School, at 2255 Modoc Road, has sports fields, basketball courts, and a track. (Giana Magnoli / Noozhawk photo)

Westside Santa Barbara residents soon may have more access to open spaces thanks to a pilot program to open outdoor spaces on select school campuses. 

“We’ve heard that there are not enough green spaces and the park spaces are limited on the Westside,” Steve Venz, chief operations officer for the Santa Barbara Unified School District, said during a joint City Council and school board meeting Monday.  

Westside residents asked that Harding Elementary School or La Cumbre Junior High School remain open on the weekends so families and community members can enjoy the open space. Fields are currently fenced with locked gates.

Venz told the City Council and school board members on Monday that previously when elementary schools would open on weekends, staff would return on Monday to find damage to the property. 

The school district will work with the city to open campuses this year in a way that is safe and to help ensure that the campuses are clean for students and staff when they come in on Mondays, Venz said.

City Councilman Oscar Gutierrez thanked the district for getting started on the pilot program and asked that they include McKinley Elementary in the program.

“The lower Westside community also has a hard time having access to open spaces,” Gutierrez said. 

ShaKenya Edison, center, and Steve Venz talk about school district programs at Monday's meeting. Also pictured are city Parks and Recreation Director Jill Zachary, left, and City Administrator Rebecca Bjork, right. (Giana Magnoli / Noozhawk photo)
ShaKenya Edison, center, and Steve Venz talk about school district programs at Monday’s meeting. Also pictured are city Parks & Recreation Director Jill Zachary, left, and City Administrator Rebecca Bjork, right. (Giana Magnoli / Noozhawk photo)

Venz said the school district plans to work with the city Parks & Recreation Department on programs that will introduce families to the open campuses. 

They also hope to have a staff member on the campus while it is open to keep an eye on things and make sure everyone enjoying the space can stay safe. 

“We know that people can get hurt,” Venz said. “We want to make sure that we have everything available to them.”

They plan to start the program at Harding, at 1625 Robbins St., and La Cumbre, at 2255 Modoc Road, and give it time to see how successful it is and whether community members are enjoying the space.

La Cumbre Junior High School, at 2255 Modoc Road, has sports fields, basketball courts, and a track. (Giana Magnoli / Noozhawk photo)
La Cumbre Junior High School, at 2255 Modoc Road, has sports fields, basketball courts, and a track. (Giana Magnoli / Noozhawk photo)

“We know there’s a need,” Venz said. “We also know all the things that we’re concerned about. So let’s see what we can do, the success of that, and then possibly scale it.”

On the west side of Highway 101 in the city, there is Bohnett Park, which is 3.54 acres with a small playground, a basketball court and a grass area.

Parque De Los Ninos has a small playground but no sports fields or courts.

The city and district staff are still working on ways to find funding for the program, according to Ed Zuchelli, spokesman for SBUSD.

— Noozhawk staff writer Rebecca Caraway can be reached at rcaraway@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.