Suburban and rural communities may want to seek other alternatives than that of the traditional isolated high school with the empty parking lot. One approach is to create learning and cultural parks. The school becomes the anchor for integrating a host of facilities that can be accessed and shared by the entire community. Here we are talking about clustering a high school, recreational facilities, public libraries and other cultural institutions in such a way that each gains from its proximity to the other. In doing so, valuable green space is protected.
Public schools are just that - public.
School facilities can be a great resource and a safe one for the entire community after regular school hours. This is why we are so strongly promoting our 21st Century Learning Center initiative. One way to keep children off the street and out of trouble is to keep their minds excited and engaged. The Tenderloin Community School in San Francisco is an example of how a community came together to build a school that serves many needs. Building a facility that students and senior citizens can share increases the opportunity for both inter-generational learning and activities.