Emporia Recreation Commission was established in 1953. An ordinance was published in the Emporia Daily Gazette on May 21, 1953, which provided for the establishment, maintenance and conduct of a supervised recreation system and establishing a commission, which was empowered to administer the system. A majority of voters on Election Day, April 7, 1953, agreed to adopt the proposition to establish a supervised joint recreation system as provided in the Kansas Statutes under Article 19 of Chapter 12. By statute, members of the Recreation Commission consist of two appointees by the City of Emporia and two appointees by the USD #253 School Board and one appointee chosen at large by the other four. Revenues for recreation programs are derived from tax properties within the school district.
