It's a done deal! Kids can now play on the playground again after school hours with the caveat that dogs are banned from the playground (more on that below). However, it's not guaranteed it'll stay open forever. I'm looking to connect people together who can respond quickly if it were to be shutdown again. Please join the no-commitment mailing list in case this ever happens again, we need that starting point so we don't risk another "indefinite" closure.

Why did they ban dogs? Where do I go?
Dogs were the cause of the closure: biting kids, running into classrooms, chasing kids on bikes, leaving poop in the grass that teachers had to pick up, and creating unhygienic environments for kids to play in. Washington Elementary Playground is still open for dogs to go to (on leash) and is a good place to bring your dogs for the time being.

PLEASE pass around thanks to the people involved
If you know any school board member, the superintendent, the Roosevelt principal, the staff, any PTA member, any School Site Council member, any city council member, PLEASE tell them thank you. PLEASE tell them how much this means to you. Even if you don't agree with the dog ban policy or their approach and you still use the park, PLEASE thank them. They all spent time and emotional energy making this possible, and though compromises were made, they all deserve the credit for contributing real solutions and being active participants in the democratic process of reopening the playground.  And they need to know how much it means to you too and they deserve that appreciation!

The official message from the Roosevelt School
The only official messaging found was through the Roosevelt's internal family "parentsquare" platform:

Roosevelt Grounds Reopening After Hours – Important Guidelines
Dear Roosevelt Families,
At the end of the school day today (6:00pm), the Roosevelt Elementary grounds will reopen for public use after hours. To ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all, dogs will not be allowed on campus at any time. Having a dog on campus will be considered trespassing, and violators will be reported to the City of San Leandro Police Department. Signage will be posted to make this clear, and we ask for your cooperation.
Thank you for your support in keeping our campus a safe and enjoyable space for students and families. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
Best,
David Kumamoto
Principal, Roosevelt Elementary

So does that mean I have to call the police on people? Is there another way? Can I help enforce without calling the police? I'm not trained for this!
Community enforcement is awkward, calling the police on dog owners is awkward, calling the police on your neighbors or people you know is extremely awkward.  UNCOMFORTABLE.  WHYYYY

If you decide to participate in community enforcement, please try to do so in a de-escalatory fashion (I did a quick search and it looks like there are some articles with tips on this).

If you have ideas or opinions yourself on how to do community enforcement without calling the police and without escalation, please share with me your tips or resources, and I'd be happy to pass it on so we can have that as community knowledge (email is james.mcb.san.leandro@gmail.com)

What if a dog owner is there and I don't feel comfortable with any of these options and I don't feel safe?
Oof I hear you!  There are other parks, like McCartney or Siempre Verde, that you could try and check out.

BUT I WANT A DOG PARK!!
I talked with District 5 Council Member XouHoa Bowen and she said she's only heard that requested approximately once since her tenure. If you want one, there are spaces in our district that could totally be turned into dog parks. Organize the dog owners, you'll get SO MANY people behind you, and then start working with our council member to make that happen. XouHoa Bowen is having a District 5 Townhall on February 25 from 5:30pm - 7:30pm at the library. That's your time to make your voice known.

What do I do if the park shuts down again?!

• Add yourself to the list to get connected to other people who want to make a difference and see if there are any organized efforts
• Email the superintendent and CC all school board members and the District 5 city council member until they respond
• Show up at school board meetings (open comments are just at the beginning of the meeting) and ask them for public discourse and transparency
• Encourage others to do the same