| Berrien Springs Public Schools |
| Bylaws & Policies |
7510 - USE OF DISTRICT FACILITIES
The Board shall encourage the utilization of District buildings and District grounds by properly organized and responsible groups. Such use of any District facility or District grounds, however, shall not interfere with the daily school/student routine or any school-sponsored student activity and must be harmonious with the purposes of the District.
The District's facilities may be rented to community groups only if approved in advance by the Superintendent or designee. All organizations wanting to use these facilities must contact the Superintendent or designee for approval and scheduling.
Recognized bargaining units may use District facilities and equipment as outlined in the current negotiated master contract.
The use of District facilities or District grounds by churches of the community on a week night designated by the church as a "worship night" may be allowed by the Board on a temporary basis as is afforded community groups elsewhere in this policy.
In any scheduling conflicts, the following organizations have preference in the following order:
| A. | uses directly related to the schools and the operations of the school; | |
| B. | uses and groups indirectly related to the schools; | |
| C. | meetings of employee associations; | |
| D. | community organizations or groups of individuals formed for charitable, civic, social, religious, recreational or educational purposes; | |
| E. | commercial or profit-making organizations or individuals offering services for profit. |
Should all or any part of the District's community be struck by a disaster, the Board shall make District grounds and/or facilities available for the housing, feeding and care of victims or potential victims when requested by local, State or Federal authorities.
The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines for the granting of permission to use District facilities including a schedule of fees. Such guidelines are to include:
| A. | each user may be required to present evidence of the purchase of organizational liability insurance to the limit prescribed by District administrative guidelines; | |
| B. | use of school equipment in conjunction with the use of school facilities must be requested specifically in writing, and may be granted by the procedure by which permission to use facilities is granted; | |
| The users of school equipment must accept liability for any damage or loss to such equipment that occurs while it is in their use. Where rules so specify, no item of equipment may be used except by a qualified operator. | ||
| C. | users shall be liable financially for damage to the facilities and for proper chaperonage. |
Any lease shall not exceed one (1) year, however, the Board may extend any such lease.
No liability shall attach to this District, any employee, officer or member of this District specifically as a consequence of permitting access to these facilities per Board policy.