Trespassing on HS Tracks?

The local high school tracks near me are open to the public and they post a sign saying that. I think as long as you are respectful to school activities going on, most schools don't object.

However, I did have an old guy call the cops on me when I was running around an apartment complex one day. They did have a no trespassing sign up. But it was in the middle of the afternoon and I didn't think anyone would mind me running a loop around their complex. I'm obviously out for a run, wearing running clothes, I don't think there was anything threatening about me.

Anybody else get kicked out of running someplace?

I never understood this, I've run on several public HS tracks in ct and all of them had signs that residents could use the track when school was not in session and no athletic events or practices were talking place. In addition to the no glass, bikes, skateboards, or dogs sign. I get the separation between random public and school kids and unless there are other people on the track I won't use it even if they are having practices in the adjacent fields. The best thing about my local hs is an early summer or fall night session under the lights.

I thought it was interesting running in England. I don't know if this is normal, but where I was there were no public tracks, only private. You paid a fee, which was something like 3 pounds, to use the track.

I can not believe that you guys don't see the side of the schools in this.

They have to beg to get funding to resurface a track, or build a track. Then if they leave it open and it's vandalized the public screams about the repairs.

And you can't assume that all adults are there for good reasons either. Some people look for reasons to sue. They make a small living off of "trip & falls".

Aren't some of you track coaches that worry about your facility being open to any jerk off the street?

Public schools are not private property. The teachers, administrators, janitors etc. are just employees period. You can run at the track as long as it doesn't interfere with school functions like phy-ed or the track team, football team etc. During school hours however, I would not use the track just so you don't have to deal with some 'employee' trying to intimidate you.

sub3over40 wrote:

If you own property in that school district, your taxes are paying his salary and helped to build that track. You have every right to run on it during reasonable hours. The track is paid for by the public and they have a right to use it when the school is not.

Would you extend that premise to ALL public school facilities? If not, why not? If so, what you wrote would seem to imply that the public should be able to use the indoor facilities as well; i.e. the basketball courts, the science labs, the school library, the computer lab, the weight room, the kitchen, the stage of the auditorium, etc. My tax dollars also pay for textbooks, should I also have the right to have a copy of those books?

I'm on the side that the public should be allowed to use tracks at public schools (high school or college) when the area is not in use for a school function or by a school group, it's just that a lot of the reasons being stated on this thread don't seem exactly logical to me.

My tax dollars also paid to build the interstate highways, that doesn't mean I have the right to go for a run or ride my bike out there.

Let me guess .. you're a proponent of Open Borders.

goodoldrebel wrote:

Public schools are not private property. The teachers, administrators, janitors etc. are just employees period. You can run at the track as long as it doesn't interfere with school functions like phy-ed or the track team, football team etc. During school hours however, I would not use the track just so you don't have to deal with some 'employee' trying to intimidate you.

Idiot or troll or both?? Would you say the same thing about the football team's weight room? How about the basketball court?

Touche wrote:

[quote]pjb wrote:

Public does not mean open to all. Sorry. Seriously, ask a lawyer. There are different reason that you can't use a public high school track or walk into the white house but the point is those reasons trace back to the same principle. From a legal perspective, there are strings attached to any public facility. You can't wish that away. I don't understand why you are arguing this.

Enlighten us. What "strings" are attached to "any public facility?" What is the reason that both the White House and some (but not all) high school tracks are not open to the public? Any number of public places (municipal parks, the courts, public roads) are open to the public; what's the difference?

Note, most of us are saying that we think it would be nice for tracks at public schools to be open to the public, not that they are required to be by some principle. You are saying that there is some principle out there as to why they should not be open to the public.

The minute a school employee thinks that his pension or paycheck is on the line, he will run with his tail between his legs and couldn't care less about who is at the track. Its all about some 'employees' who get too impressed with themselves until an issue is made about the way they handled this interaction. The last thing most of that dead wood wants is to attract any attention to themselves.

A school is just a building to employ these 'buffered beings from the economy' while raping taxpaying homeowners. If only the public knew what educators, administrators etc. mostly talked about in the teacher's lounge etc. they would realize that there is so much dead wood in the public schools today (especially at the administrative level).

Does a true profession need a union? Come on its just a way to keep a big hand in taxpayer's pockets. Mineworkers, tractor-trailer drivers and vocational occupations need unions but not educators. I know this is somewhat off topic but realize who you are dealing with next time some zero hassles you at the track.

Do you guys also think that they should allow anyone access to play football on the fields, go into the gym and play basketball, use the high school weight room, go swimming in their pool, use their Chemistry lab to make meth.... ok, that last one was obviously a joke, but I am just curious where you draw the line?

Hey bubblehead, we are talking about an outside facility. Nobody is talking about meandering inside the building.

WalterWhite wrote:

I can not believe that you guys don't see the side of the schools in this.

They have to beg to get funding to resurface a track, or build a track. Then if they leave it open and it's vandalized the public screams about the repairs.

And you can't assume that all adults are there for good reasons either. Some people look for reasons to sue. They make a small living off of "trip & falls".

Aren't some of you track coaches that worry about your facility being open to any jerk off the street?

Has there been any issues with locals damaging or wearing out tracks to any significant degree beyond the high school practice, gym classes and meets?

This is a petty concern.

What has been the rate of reported liabity for any injuries on school grounds?

That cannot be significant enough to effect their insurance premiums.

It really just comes down to crotchety people who want to control something.

Why do you hate teachers so much and what do you do for a living that is so much more important?

sfdg345 wrote:

Do you guys also think that they should allow anyone access to play football on the fields, go into the gym and play basketball, use the high school weight room, go swimming in their pool, use their Chemistry lab to make meth.... ok, that last one was obviously a joke, but I am just curious where you draw the line?

Easy. Don't allow people to use facilities where they might get hurt without supervision would be one way. Playing football or having open gym would not be a bad idea; the weight room or the pool (how many schools have a pool?) probably shouldn't be, though if the taxpayers were willing to foot the bill for a life guard I don't think it would be a bad idea.

sfdg345 wrote:

Do you guys also think that they should allow anyone access to play football on the fields, go into the gym and play basketball, use the high school weight room, go swimming in their pool?

Yes. The public high school in my town allows resident access to each of those. All you need is a permit that's issued by the town. Open recreational hours for each are posted and updated on the town Website.

I guess I hit a nerve. Did you just fall off a cabbage truck or do you not know anything about our dumbed down education system? Some of us are tired of having those seat polishers sucking up all these tax dollars. 80% + of all the school budgets are for salaries.

They should be lucky they have such a cushy job with time off all summer and lots of breaks during the school year. Been there done that for 35 years (half of it in an urban environment) and was still the only one who crossed a picket line. Police, fireman, military personnel deserve pensions, not school employees.

Azaleas wrote:

I thought it was interesting running in England. I don't know if this is normal, but where I was there were no public tracks, only private. You paid a fee, which was something like 3 pounds, to use the track.

Most "tracks" in English schools consist of white lines painted on grass.

I was just thinking. Let's say 10 of you got together and paid $5 a week each to use the track. The school would receive $2,600 a year with no outlay.