The Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation (LSPR) Board was notified on August 31, 2018 of its renewed status as a nationally accredited agency from the Commission for Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA). CAPRA accreditation assures policy makers, department staff, the general public and tax payers that an accredited park and recreation agency has been independently evaluated against established benchmarks as delivering a high level of quality.

Accreditation is based on an agency’s compliance with the 151 standards for national accreditation. To achieve accreditation, an agency must comply with all 37 Fundamental Standards, and at least 95 percent of the remaining 108 standards. The three-member CAPRA assigned visitation team concluded, “All 37 Fundamental Standards were met and all of the 114 additional standards were met; an outstanding level of achievement.”

“I’m very proud of our staff and department for their efforts to earn reaccreditation with a perfect review,” Joe Snook, Administrator for Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation, said. “Accreditation is formal validation that LSPR is committed to the best practices of our profession, continuous improvement, and serving our community at its highest level. I would especially like to thank David Dean, Superintendent of Recreation, for his leadership on this project.”

CAPRA accreditation is on a five-year cycle and includes three phases: Development of the agency self-assessment report, the on-site visitation, and the Commission’s review and decision. The on-site visitation follows the agency’s development of its self-assessment report. The Commission is comprised of representatives from the National Recreation and Park Association, the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials, the International City/County Managers Association, American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation, the Armed Forces Recreation Society, and the Council of State Executive Directors.

The LSPR Board first achieved accreditation in 2003 and was reaccredited in 2008, 2013 and now in 2018. This is the second time LSPR has been reaccredited with a perfect review from CAPRA.

The official announcement will be made at the 2018 National Recreation and Park Association Conference held in October in Indianapolis, Indiana.

For more information on CAPRA or the activities and facilities provided by LSPR, call LSPR at 816-969-1500 or email lspr@cityofls.net