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District Policy

7510 - USE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES

Section: Property Date Created: June 2017 Date Edited: June 2017

 

The district facilities are supported by taxpayers primarily for educational purposes.  As a service to the community, the Board shall grant the use of school facilities to responsible and properly organized community groups, when not in use for school purposes.  While every effort shall be made to accommodate the legitimate needs of all approved users, school initiated programs shall take precedence over any other programs directed by outside users.

 

The Board recognizes that the management of school facilities outside of the regular operating schedules requires a delicate balance to ensure that the use does not interfere with the orderly conduct of the schools and yet allows the community to benefit more broadly from the use of its own property.  Such community use must always respect the rights of others, particularly the rights of those residents whose properties adjoin or are close to the school properties.

 

The Board will permit the use of school facilities when such permission has been requested in writing and has been approved by the Superintendent or his/her designee, upon recommendation of the Facilities Committee, composed of the School Business Administrator/Board Secretary and certain members of the Board Facilities committee.  The Board will permit the use of school facilities for:

 

1.   Uses and groups directly related to the school and the operations of the school;

 

2.   Uses and organizations indirectly related to the school;

 

3.   Departments or agencies of the municipal government;

 

4.   Other governmental agencies;

 

5.   Community organizations formed for charitable, civic or educational purposes.

 

The use of school facilities shall not be granted for any purpose which is prohibited by law.

 

All applications for authorization to use the school facilities will be submitted to the Board of Education for action.

 

The school district shall provide a copy of Policy and Regulation 2431.4 – Prevention and Treatment of Sports-Related Concussions and Head Injuries to all youth sports team organizations that operate on school grounds or in school facilities.  In accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:40-41.5, the school district shall not be liable for the injury or death of a person due to the action or inaction of persons employed by, or under contract with, a youth sports team organization that uses school facilities or operates on school grounds if the youth sports team organization provides the school district proof of an insurance policy in the amount of not less than $50,000 per person, per occurrence; insuring the youth sports team organization against liability for any bodily injury suffered by a person.  The youth sports team organization must also provide a statement of compliance with the school district’s Policy and Regulation 2431.4 - Prevention and Treatment of Sports-Related Concussions and Head Injuries. 

 

For the purpose of this Policy, a “youth sports team organization” means one or more sports teams organized pursuant to a nonprofit or similar charter or which are member teams in a league organized by or affiliated with a county or municipal recreation department.

 

The Board of Education may refuse to grant the use of a school building whenever, in the reasonable exercise of its judgment, there is good reason why permission should be refused in light of safety or scheduling concerns, or other factors having legitimate bearing on the operation of the school district.

 

The Board of Education assumes no liability for the user and, assumes no liability for the property of the user.  Each user shall accept responsibility for the facilities and the participants at the user's event.  Promotional materials for the event including but not limited to, posters, flyers, signs and other forms of advertising must state that the event is not sponsored by the Board of Education.  The Board shall require that all users of school facilities comply with policies of this Board and the rules and regulations of this district.  Each user shall present evidence of the purchase of organizational liability insurance to the limit prescribed by such rules.

 

Smoking is prohibited at all times in any district building or on school grounds.  No one may bring alcoholic beverages onto any school property.  All facility use shall comply with State and local fire, health, safety and police regulations.

 

The buildings shall not be available for community use if such use will interfere with school functions, or cleaning and maintenance schedules.

 

Use of school equipment in conjunction with the use of school facilities must be specifically requested in writing and may be granted by the procedure by which permission to use facilities is granted.  The user of school equipment must accept liability for any damage to or loss of such equipment that occurs while it is in use.  Where rules so specify, no item of equipment may be used except by a qualified operator.

 

Use of district equipment on the premises by non-school personnel is limited to the equipment that is an integral part of the facility being used.  No district equipment shall be removed from the premises for use by non-district personnel.

 

Authorization for use of school facilities shall not be considered as endorsement of or approval of the activity, person, group or organization nor the purposes they represent.

 

Implementation

 

The Superintendent shall develop and update regulations for the use of school facilities as needed and shall submit them to the Board for ratification.  The regulations shall be distributed to every user of the facilities and every application for the use of school facilities.

 

Permission to use school facilities shall be granted only to persons and organizations that agree in writing to be bound by these regulations.  The responsibilities assigned to the School Business Administrator/Board Secretary by the Superintendent in the administration of this policy may be delegated to another employee of the Board at the discretion of the Superintendent.

 

 

N.J.S.A. 18A:20-20; 18A:20-34

 

 

Adopted:  13 June 2017

 

 

 

 

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