Youth Recreation
In the interview with Col. Lauer, a point he returned to repeatedly was the need to expand recreational services. In his view, one of the ways to have an impact on youth crime would be to recreational activities for children, to "give them something to do other than selling drugs."
A number of public and private efforts are being made in this direction. The City Department of Parks, Recreation & Forestry runs summer programs and after-school programs at ten locations in the City. Currently it serves 18,811 people, of whom 12,841 (68% of total) are between the ages of 7 and 20, "which in turn generate 306,000 visits or more than 300,000 occasions when young people are not on the street."41Information provided by St. Louis Department of Parks and Recreation Privately run programs include such efforts as the Matthew Dickey Boy's Club, Operation Teamwork, Girl's Clubs, etc.
Although the City programs reach a large number of people, the programs fall short of what might be accomplished. For instance, the Summer Program runs six weeks; the summer break from school is approximately 11 weeks. The hours of the summer program are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. As Mr. Roth, the Commissioner of Recreation, pointed out in an interview, a parent who works from 8 a.m. to 5p.m. must still find a person to watch their child for several hours each day.
The constraint on the City programs is the budget. The yearly budget for the Recreation Department is 1.2 million dollars per year. Of this, approximately $800,000 goes toward 10 Community Recreation Centers. Budgetary constraints also affect the type of programs offered. Sports programs require fewer instructors to serve a greater number of children. Cultural programs require a greater number of instructors, and can serve fewer children. In an effort to serve the greatest number of children possible, the Recreation department has been forced to focus on sports programs.
We propose to drastically expand recreational activities through the Recreation Department, in terms of range, length and location of programs offered.
- Increase number of locations
- As noted, the Recreation Division presently spends $800,000 per year to operate 10 full service community centers. We propose to add five new sites, using Board of Education property. Using the average cost of $80,000 per facility, 5 new locations would require an additional $400,000 in funding.
- Expand Summer Park Programs
- Currently, the Recreation Division operates 7 park playground sites for 6 weeks,10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To better accommodate working parents, additional funding would be directed toward extending these programs. Programs would operate 11 weeks and would be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sites are staffed by college interns at $5.00 per hour. Total cost: $90,000.
- Extended Evening Hours
- Extend hours of operation at recreation centers to 10 p.m. both summer and winter. Recreation Division has experimented with late hour activities for over 18 year olds. Would offer co-ed league play in volleyball to attract both male and female participants, basketball league play and weightlifting. Total cost:$84,000.
- Security
- The Recreation Division can only obtain through the Parks Division security force less than 60% coverage under best of circumstances. Without adequate security coverage for extended programs or new sites, activities cannot expect success. We propose adding 9 total officers. Cost per officer, including fringes, is $330 per week per officer. Total cost: $154,440.
- Cultural Programs
- To expose youth to activities other than sports, we propose to offer programs related to visual and performing artists and/or art students. 4 programsmeeting twice per week for two hours each meeting. The programs would run 40 weeks out of the year, and would be offered at all fifteen locations. Total costs: $102,000(wages and fringes = $92,900, Equipment and Supplies = $15,000)
- Learn to Swim
- Restore instructional swimming programs as well as competitive swimming for 7 to 16 year olds. Fall/Winter (2 pools), 6 lifeguards at 6.50 per hour, 15 hours per week for 11 weeks. Summer (8 pools) 16 lifeguards at $6.50 per hour, 15 hours per week for 11 weeks. Total costs: 34,800 (wages and fringes)
- Social Activities
- We propose to offer resident-sponsored teen dances at five different community centers twice per month. Security: 2 off-duty police officers at $14 per hour each. Entertainment (DJ): 120 performances at $150 per each. Total cost: $31,440.
- Grants
- We propose to create a fund, to be administered by the Recreation Division, for similar programs by other recreation providers, such as community schools, Operation Teamwork, boy's clubs, girl's clubs, etc. Total cost: $450,000
- Administration
- The Division of Recreation operates with an administrative budget of 7% of total funding. Applying this same standard to the previously described expanded programs would cause a requirement of $101,800 for administration. These funds would be used to purchase additional computer equipment to track grant administration, program registration information, demographics of participants and attendance data. This would also fund clerical staff, 1 mid-level manager and 1 field supervisor. Total costs: 102,000.
Total program costs: $1,454,380
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