Business Administration AP 550: Community Use of School Facilities

Background

The District is dedicated to the premise that school buildings are to be used to the maximum provided that facilities are primarily used for education, recreation and general cultural improvement. Working, through the Joint Use Agreement, with Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has enabled the District to make educational facilities available for community recreational purposes.

Procedures

1. Arrangements for Use of Schools
   1. Applications for the rental of elementary school facilities are handled through the Joint Use Coordinator for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
   2. Junior and Senior High School facilities are exempt from the Joint Use Agreement and facility rentals are handled though the school’s office.
   3. Groups or organizations using school facilities shall use only those portions of the building for which they have received approval to use.
   4. At his/her sole discretion, the Superintendent or designate, may refuse the public the use of any school facility.
   5. Groups or organizations granted continued use of schools must give one week's notice in writing before the date of discontinuance. The District, however, reserves the right to discontinue any use on a week's notice.
   6. Improper use of school property by an approved user may, at the sole discretion of the Superintendent or designate, result in cancellation of the approval to use the facility.
   7. The user of the facility or Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo will protect, indemnify and save harmless the District of, and from, all claims for damages that may arise out of use of the buildings by the user.
2. Proper Use of Facilities
   1. The premises must be left in a neat and undamaged condition acceptable to the District after use. Any damage will be invoiced to the user of the facility.
   2. No groups, organizations, or other third party users shall be allowed to use school equipment without first having received written permission from the Principal or District.
   3. Any group or organization using any portion of the school shall ensure that all materials used during the time of rental are:
      1. Removed if they were brought in by the organization; and
      2. Replaced if they are on hand.
   4. School facilities must be vacated by 10:00 p.m. or the end of the custodial shift, whichever comes first.
3. Supervision
   1. A school custodian arranged through the Director of Operations and Maintenance or another District staff member appointed by the Principal or Superintendent or designate must be on duty for all rental functions.
   2. Any group or organization renting the school facilities shall be held responsible to the District through the Joint Use Agreement for audiences' and participants' behaviour.
   3. If a group or organization fails to provide adequate supervision of their members and audiences, the Joint Use Coordinator for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo or the Superintendent or designate, may take whatever disciplinary action they deem necessary. In most cases this will mean a suspension of the use of school facilities for a period of one (1) year. Should a second offense of this nature occur, the group's privilege to rent school facilities may be withdrawn indefinitely.
   4. The members of any group or organization or spectators while in a school building must be under the immediate supervision and control of a competent adult who will undertake personally to be responsible for the due observance of the rules and regulations. The name(s) of the supervising adult(s) must be entered upon the application.
   5. If a program requires the use of more than one room, the group or organization must provide one adult supervisor for each room in use. Groups or organizations using school facilities shall use only those portions of the building for which they have applied and which they have received approval to use.
4. Safety Regulations
   1. All exit lights inside and outside the gymnasium shall be left on and shall not be covered by decorations or tampered with in any way.
   2. In accordance with general fire regulations, all aisles, hall, stairways, passageways and lobbies shall be kept free from obstructions of any kind.
   3. No person shall be allowed to sit, stand or loiter in any aisles, stairways, passageways or lobbies.
   4. Smoking, cannabis, and alcohol are prohibited.
   5. No adjustments or modifications shall be made to lighting, heating or ventilating equipment by any person other than the Director of Operations and Maintenance or designate. Any violation of this procedure shall result in costs for any damage being assessed to the violator as well as the cost for any damage resulting from careless or improper behaviour.
   6. Footwear likely to damage floors must not be worn in the gymnasium. Clean indoor footwear must be worn in the gymnasium.
5. Use of Schools for District Functions
   1. The consumption of alcohol on District property can only be approved by the Superintendent for District staff functions.