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September 25, 2001
Revised: May 26, 2010
Policy
The Board wishes to accommodate community use of its facilities and therefore school buildings, individual classrooms and grounds may be made available for rental, licence or lease for appropriate activities by community groups, private, non-profit or commercial uses. All non-school uses must be arranged through the School District and be documented by Rental Agreements, Licence or Lease Agreement, Joint Use Agreements or other agreement that articulates roles, responsibilities and liability. Non-school uses of school facilities, grounds and playfields must not interfere with regular school requirements.
The Board makes its facilities available to community groups during the school year on the understanding that costs associated with the use of facilities should be recovered by user fees. The Facilities Department will assess the suitability of rentals during vacation periods (winter, summer and spring break), taking into consideration the cost of opening the school and its maintenance and cleaning schedule. A schedule of fees will be reviewed and approved as often as necessary by the Board. Users must take appropriate care when using facilities and will be held financially responsible for any damage to Board property. Licences and leases (longer tenure options) will typically be offered through a public process.
Use of School Fields
Use of playfields is scheduled through the North Vancouver Recreation Commission under a Joint Use Agreement that delineates hours of use between the school and the community. Fields must be used with discretion to avoid damage. The School District may, at its discretion, deny use when there is a probability of damage to a field.
Users of school fields are expected to conduct their activities in a manner which does not disturb or offend nearby residents, to park in designated areas, and to clean up any litter left after using the field.
Use of School Facilities for School Sponsored Activities on Weekends
The principal of a school may allow the use of a school for school events, including social activities for student or parent groups, on Saturdays or Sundays. In some circumstance such use may not require the scheduling of custodial services. However, custodial service must be scheduled for cleanup purposes if:
- Food and beverages are part of the event
- The event draws a significant number of participants or spectators
- The event can be reasonably expected to require housekeeping/custodial tasks
- Custodial services are scheduled by the principal for such school events, or if other costs are incurred, the cost of such services shall be a charge against the sponsors of the activity in the schools.
For school functions, there shall be no alcoholic beverages brought to or consumed in the buildings without the prior approval of the Secretary Treasurer. A school administrator must be present for school sponsored activities at which alcoholic beverages will be served.
Guiding Principles for Community Use of School Facilities
- Fees for the use of the facilities may be graduated with higher fees charged for private or commercial activities
- Additional use of facilities increases wear and tear and generally results in higher maintenance costs which should be recovered through fees
- Any increased administrative costs, caretaking services provided to the renter, and utility costs associated with community use of facilities shall be recaptured through fees charged to community users
- Employees, who wish to use facilities for personal, social or other activities, are subject to the same requirements as community groups.
- The School District retains the right to suspend the use of any its facilities, grounds or playfields by any group that does not fully comply with the rules of usage.
- Opening a school during school vacation periods (winter, summer and spring break) is costly and may interfere with previously planned maintenance and cleaning schedules. Costs must be fully recovered. The suitability of rental groups will be assessed by the Facilities Department.
Administrative Procedures for Community Use of School Facilities
Requests for the use of facilities by an outside organization shall be made to the rentals office. It is recognized that conflict will occur from time to time between the needs of the school and the needs of the community. In order to optimize community access to school facilities while recognizing that the school has priority for its own facility, the rentals office may relocate a community group in order to accommodate the needs of the school. Schools will receive a percentage of the revenue generated from community use of facilities. The percentage rate will be determined when the schedule of rental fees is reviewed and approved.
There shall be no warranty expressed or implied on the part of the Board as to the suitability or condition of the premises granted, and the users must accept the said premises at their own risk and covenant to indemnify and save harmless the Board from all loss, costs, and damages which may arise as a consequence either directly or indirectly of the granting of their use. The users shall agree to indemnify the Board for any loss or damage to the Board’s property or any adjoining property due to the occupancy of the Board’s premises to which use may have been granted.
The applicant for the use of facilities shall be responsible for the preservation of order.
For community groups, there shall be no alcoholic beverages brought to or consumed in the buildings without the prior approval of the Secretary Treasurer on the advice of the principal or manager in charge of the building. Requests for such approval must be made in writing and must give assurances that:
- The group submitting the request shall comply with the laws of British Columbia
- An appropriate liquor licence is obtained
- Liquor will not be consumed out-of-doors
- Adequate planning for the control of the function has been undertaken
- Appropriate insurance coverage has been obtained.
Facilities shall be rented on the terms stated in the standard rental agreement form, at currently approved rates. Only those facilities and equipment specified in the rental agreement shall be used.
School District authorities shall have access to all facilities used by the community at all times. No rearrangements to the furniture or equipment in the rented facility may be made without permission of School District authorities.
Space in operating schools for pre-school, Early Learning Foundations, and daycare programs will typically be offered through a public process after the School District has determined that suitable space is available for a period of time that makes such an operation viable. Refer to Policy 805: Disposition of Land or Facilities.
