The Chicago Board of Education operates teacher-staffed, after school playground programs at 59 elementary schools. It also operates and maintains six stadia for interscholastic and amateur athletic events and recreational purposes. This study examined those programs and the use of funds committed to support them. Descriptions are given of the activities, facilities, sites, and organization of the programs, and comparisons are made of the way they function. Findings included: (1) recreation programs were functioning at most playground sites; (2) there was inadequate and problematic supervision of playground staff; (3) playground programs existed with no discernible secondary academic benefits for the host school; (4) playground programs were unevenly sited; (5) the stadia program was important to interscholastic activities of the Board of Education; and (6) playground programs provided fewer services, at higher cost, than comparably sized park district programs. Two recommendations were made: (1) the management of the playground programs should be reorganized; and (2) official local school parent groups should assess the playground programs in their areas. (JD)