North Bakersfield Recreation & Park District

My daughter was enrolled at the NOR pre-​op preschool program at the riverview facility located in oildale. After she attended for 7 months, my daughter became ill and missed a week of school. Then the following week when I was scheduled to volunteer my 8 month old had came down with viral croup. I gave a courtesy call to the school that morning informing them that I was unable to volenteer that day dued to my infant being ill and would pay the 20 fee only being fair thats in there contract for not being able to volenteer a day. 10 minutes later The «teacher» mrs. valerie contacted me back to tell me that instead of accepting the 20 fee (there rules from there contract) she was going to just drop my daughter from the program. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. After 7 months of being enrolled and only 2 months left of school, also no problems ever with my daughter they actually kicked her out of the program dued to her being ill one week and me not being able to make one volenteer day. The school needed so many kids in the beginning of the year to keep the program open and they needed my daughter there, 7 months into it 4 more children had enrolled and my daughter was no longer needed. This school is a joke. The supervisor Sonia and teachers are unprofessional and immature. All they care about is taking your money and not teaching your child. They say in the contract they provide a «healthy» snack everyday. Well that’s a lie. All they give your kids is crackers and tap water. Save your money and time and go elsewhere.

I love NOR, I really do. My children play MANY sports through the organization. This particular review is about the tackle football program, lack of communication, and lack of organization. First, we registered our sons in our district under the Oildale Fury. We waited and waited and waited for a call from a coach. Nothing. Finally, two days before practice a coach from another area called and told us that Oildale did not have a team and our son had been placed on their team. No call or communication from NOR at all. If it was a coaching issue, perhaps we would have stepped up and either done it ourselves or changed leagues or asked for a refund. We now have to drive 30 minutes away to practice with a team that is not from our community. Also, during makeup day for helmets and pads we sat out in the 102 degree heat waiting, while two people fitted kids. I could, seriously, plan a much more efficient means of moving kids through. Then, a girl came out and said they had ran out of pads and helmets and they would take our number and call us when they came in. My son had already been at practice, not being able to practice because of a lack of pads, I was not going to wait another week for them to get pads in. I stayed in line, and low and behold there were enough pads and helmets for both of my sons. It was completely unorganized. They didn’t give either of my sons chin straps for their helmets. This makes playing both dangerous and impossible, as they cannot play without a chinstrap. My husband and I have put out $ 700.00 in sports fees and «required equipment» that is not provided by NOR. This seems like a lot for a «recreational» football program. I would be fine with that if I felt they had a smoothly running program, but they do not.

North of the River — as its casually called — is a top-​notch recreation district. They offer all kinds of sports and activities for kids in — what’s become — half of Bakersfield.
As its name suggests, it serves the part of town north of the river, and it’s been pleasing thousands of kids and families for years.