School District Closes PB Park Because of Dog Poop and Holes

This story has been updated.

During the Thursday recording of the Voice of San Diego Podcast, San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava dropped some news: “The joint use field at Crown Point Junior Music Academy is going to be closed to the public because of the dogs and the dog owners that have beaten up the field so badly that it is now unplayable and dangerous for the students.”

LaCava predicted more of San Diego Unified’s joint-use fields would close in the future.

“I think the school district is finally going to say ‘Enough is enough. We cant risk the health of our students,’” LaCava said.

Samer Naji, San Diego Unified’s facilities spokesperson, said LaCava is right. The district has decided to keep the public out.

On Friday, after our story published, Naji wrote in an email that the closure was a temporary measure meant to allow the field to “return to a clean, healthy, and safe facility for students and families, and to deter future misuse of the facility by individuals who permit their pets to run off-leash.”

He said it wasn’t the first to be closed to the public because of dogs.

Joint-use facilities have been around San Diego for years. The district and the city celebrated many of the openings of the school fields to the public. They were a way to increase public parkland without building new parks. San Diego Unified and the city of San Diego have hundreds of such joint-use sports fields or swimming pools scattered around the region.

Because they tend to be surrounded by fences, though, the district’s joint-use fields in particular have become ideal destinations for San Diegans with dogs who ignore leash laws, Naji said. It hasn’t been so ideal for the district, though. Naji said many of its joint-use fields have been beset by dog poo and holes.

“Primarily because of student safety, cleanliness or hygiene, we have many areas throughout the district where kids are uncomfortable using their fields,” Naji said. 

The district credits the city for starting to contract with the San Diego Humane Society a couple of years ago to try to rein in bad behavior, but Naji said it hasn’t been enough.

“It’s become untenable,” Naji said. “As a school district, we’re spending a lot of money on these fields. The city needs to uphold its end of the bargain, which is that these fields remain clean and safe for students.”

There have been some efforts to get ahead of the doodoo, though. Naji said the district will begin warning residents if they are at risk of losing access to the park. Staff has been developing a stoplight-esque warning system with colored markers at each of the joint-use fields. 

If the marker on the field is green, it’s all good. Enjoy! If the district gets complaints about the quality of the field from the school’s principal, the marker will change to yellow. That means the field is at risk of closure. If the district receives another complaint, the marker will change to red. That will trigger a field closure, like Crown Point’s 

Naji said he takes no pleasure in having to up the pressure. He loves the district’s joint-use program and thinks it’s one of the best in the country. Besides, these facilities should be enjoyed by everyone. 

But, he said, visitors need to remember one thing: “The fields are for kids – human kids.”

Breaking news: After our story published, we got emails from readers concerned about the closure, and some wanted to know what they could do to prevent it from happening.

On Friday, Naji assured that the district is still committed to its joint use program. San Diego’s Parks and Recreation Department also has scheduled a maintenance project for October to restore the field.

When it comes to what residents can do, Naji struck a Smokey the Bear tone.

“The most effective way to support our efforts is by spreading awareness in your community about the impacts of misuse, encouraging responsible use of school fields, and reporting off-leash dogs to the San Diego Humane Society by calling 619-299-7012,” he wrote.

Updated on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025: We’ve updated the story to include new statements from the district about the closure and information about what residents can do.

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