| Grant County School |
| Bylaws & Policies |
7510 - USE OF COUNTY FACILITIES
The County Board of Education ("County") believes that the grounds and facilities of this County should be made available for community purposes, provided that such use does not infringe on the original and necessary purpose of the property or interfere with the educational program of the schools and is harmonious with the purposes of this County.
The Board will permit the use of County grounds and facilities when such permission has been requested in writing by a responsible organization or a group of citizens and has been approved by the Superintendent.
County grounds and facilities shall be available for the below-listed uses. When there are competing interests, approval will be given according to the following priorities:
| A. | uses directly related to the schools and the operations of the schools | |
| B. | uses and groups indirectly related to the schools | |
| C. | meetings of employee associations | |
| D. | uses for voter registration and elections | |
| E. | departments or agencies of the municipal government | |
| F. | other governmental agencies | |
| G. | community organizations or groups of individuals formed for charitable, civic, social, recreational, and educational purposes |
Facilities shall not be made available to commercial or profit making organizations or individuals offering services for profit. The foregoing notwithstanding, for the purposes of this policy, and any photographer properly engaged to take school-related photographs shall not be prohibited for using school facilities under this policy or otherwise.
Facilities shall also be made available to any certified candidate for public office and any recognized political party or organization for the purpose of conducting public discussions of public questions and issues. The facilities shall be free of charge and available only after regular school hours. Users shall abide by all County guidelines and rules regarding the use of County grounds and facilities and be liable for any damage incurred. Under no circumstances shall the grounds or facilities be used to raise funds for political purposes.
The use of County grounds and facilities shall not be granted for:
| A. | private social functions; | |
| B. | any purpose which is prohibited by law. |
Should all or any part of the County's community be struck by a disaster, the Board shall make County grounds and/or facilities available, at no charge, for the housing, feeding, and care of victims or potential victims when requested by local, State, or Federal authorities. The Superintendent should meet with the local governing body to establish a disaster preparedness plan in order to ensure that proper procedures are established to minimize confusion, inefficiency, and disruption of the educational program.
The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines for the granting of permission to use County facilities including a schedule of fees which, together with the costs used to determine such fees, must be approved by the Board. Such guidelines are to include the following:
| A. | Each user may be required to present evidence of the purchase of organizational liability insurance to the limit prescribed by County 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. |
No liability shall attach to this County, or any of its employees and officers, specifically as a consequence of permitting access to these facilities. Those persons or groups granted permission to use school facilities pursuant to this policy shall agree to indemnify the County and hold it harmless for any liability arising out of their use of school facilities.
WV Code 18-5-19 (2005)
WV Code 18-5A-2(j)(5) (2005)
Evans v. Hutchinson, 158 WV 359, 364 (1975)(citing 50 Op. WV Att'y Gen. 205(1963)).