DATE: August 19, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Parks and Recreation Department
TITLE: APPROVAL OF THREE-YEAR JOINT USE AGREEMENT WITH THE OCEANSIDE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR PARK AND RECREATION AND SCHOOL FACILITIES THROUGH MAY 31, 2029
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council approve a three-year Joint Use Agreement (“Agreement”) with the Oceanside Unified School District (OUSD), effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2029, for the joint use of park and recreation and school facilities; and authorize the City Manager to execute the Agreement.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
In May 2024, the City and OUSD entered into a Joint Use Facilities Agreement that provides significant benefit to both organizations and the community who use various recreational amenities throughout Oceanside. The current Agreement expired on May 31, 2026 but continues on a month to month basis while a new Agreement is negotiated. The purpose of this Joint Use Facilities Agreement between the City and OUSD is to partner in promoting positive health and wellness of the community, and to contribute to the fulfillment of recreation, education, and cultural objectives for children and adults. Effective retroactively from June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2029, the proposed Agreement extension is intended to maximize the use of recreational facilities by allowing for the shared use of buildings, athletic facilities, parks, beaches, and other recreation areas.
The Agreement provides mutually beneficial services and facilities that positively affect the community’s ability to access recreational resources throughout Oceanside. For example, OUSD manages more than 115 acres of field and open spaces, which would provide the City with additional park acreage needed to meet the City’s established standard of five acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. OUSD gymnasiums, fields, and outdoor courts would provide additional facilities for youth and adult sports organizations that are currently unable to be accommodated on City fields. In turn, OUSD would be permitted to use the Brooks Street, Marshall Street, and William A. Wagner Aquatic centers for swim and water polo practices and games, the Event Center at El Corazon for meetings, and other City facilities that support its athletic and educational needs.
The latest joint use Agreement signed by the City and OUSD last year eliminated all facility rental fees and staff reimbursement charges. In addition, it provided the City with the ability to permit OUSD field usage to third-party organizations, thereby alleviating some of the field and gymnasium shortages that the City was experiencing. Prior to execution of that Agreement, the community could use OUSD fields for passive park use after school hours, provided that the fields were not being used for school functions. The executed Agreement also included language that defined and ensured public access to OUSD fields for passive park use.
Over the past two years, City staff and OUSD have made minor adjustments and now propose a new three-year Agreement for City Council consideration. The proposed Agreement includes language that continues the elimination of all facility rental fees and most staff reimbursement charges. OUSD would have free access to the City’s swimming pools and recreation facilities at the existing rate of usage, which is approximately 725 hours of pool time at the City’s aquatic centers and 145 hours of use at the Country Club Senior Center and El Corazon Event Center. OUSD would have approximately 12 additional hours of use at the Brooks Street Swim Center for the Adult Transition Program.
The new Agreement would expand OUSD access to City facilities, including 150 hours of access to the volleyball courts at Harbor Beach, the use of City parks and trails for cross country, and access to the Library Community rooms. The Agreement would also provide approximately 20 hours of gym use and 250 hours of field and ballfield use; however, OUSD programs would be prioritized as Category 5 for use of City gyms and fields to ensure that their use does not displace Oceanside resident recreational and competitive youth sports.
Over the past year, the City has experienced changing needs and the new Agreement would include adjustments to ensure that access to OUSD facilities best meets the needs of the City. The new Agreement would increase the hours that the City can permit to third-party groups from 485 hours to 1,275 hours at Jefferson Middle School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, Lincoln Middle School, Surf Side Educational Academy, Pablo Tac School of the Arts, and South Oceanside Elementary. The Agreement would add 1,375 hours that the City can permit the ballfield at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School. These fields would be permitted through the Parks and Recreation Department, and organizations would pay fees to the City in accordance with the City of Oceanside Consolidated Fees, Taxes, and Assessment Schedule.
Recognizing that the City has a greater need to permit third-party groups than to host internal City programs at OUSD facilities, the Agreement would reduce City access to gyms and stadiums for City events and programs from 825 hours at stadiums and 465 hours at high school gyms to a combined 750 hours. The 750 hours at high school gyms and stadiums can only be used for staff-led and contracted Parks and Recreation Department programs; third-party organizations would continue to permit these facilities directly from OUSD. The City has an interest in using the Oceanside High School Performing Arts Center since it is identified as part of the Cultural Arts District so the Agreement would add two City events at the Oceanside High School Performing Arts Center or the El Camino High School Truax Performing Arts Center. The City would pay for staffing at the Performing Arts Center(s), including theatre technicians and/or custodians. The Agreement would also add access to the Del Rio Elementary School parking lot for overflow parking for events and programs at the Melba Bishop Recreation Center and Community Park. Access to the parking lots would be 2 hours after school dismissal and on weekends and holidays when there are no school events.
City and OUSD staff will review Exhibit D of the Agreement annually, and will make adjustments to District access to City Facilities and City access to District facilities based on changing needs from each organization. Adjustments to Exhibit D during the term of the Agreement will not require approval by City Council or the School Board.
In exchange for the right to permit the six middle and elementary schools, the City would continue to pay OUSD $25,000 per year for enhanced maintenance of fields.
FISCAL IMPACT
Through the Agreement, the City and OUSD will waive facility rental fees and most staffing reimbursements. OUSD has an outstanding balance for use of City Facilities so no payment is due in FY2026-2027, a partial payment is due in FY2027-2028, and the full payment is due in FY2028-2029. If approved, this agreement will increase the General Fund cost by $7,000 in FY 2027-28 and $25,000 in FY 2028-29.
|
Description |
Account number |
Amount |
|
FY 2026-2027 Payment |
935932101.5395 |
$0 |
|
FY 2027-2028 Payment |
935932101.5395 |
$7,000 |
|
FY 2028-2029 payment |
935932101.5395 |
$25,000 |
|
Total |
|
$32,000 |
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
The proposed Agreement was presented as an information item at the Parks and Recreation Commission on May 12, 2026.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The referenced documents have been reviewed by the City Attorney and approved as to form.
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Prepared by: Manuel Gonzalez, Parks and Recreation Director
Reviewed by: Rob O’Brien, Deputy City Manager
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Joint Use Agreement