The Board of Education recognizes that school buildings, grounds, and equipment belong to the people of the School District. Therefore, it is the policy of the Board to encourage use by groups and organizations where purposes and objectives contribute to the benefit of the School District or the school community.

Such occupation, however, shall not seriously infringe upon the original and necessary uses of the properties. The Board shall prescribe such rules and regulations as will secure a fair, reasonable, and impartial use of same. The organization or group of individuals using the facilities shall be responsible for any damage done over and above ordinary wear.

The Board further recognizes that school properties exist for the primary purpose of implementing the education of the community's students. Education, by this definition, includes all co-curricular activities offered. School activities administered by the Board of Education will take precedence over all other activities.

The Board recognizes that there are costs involved in facility use and that fees and charges will be absorbed by groups and organizations using the facility. Said fees and charges shall cover costs and will be determined annually by the Superintendent.

To ensure the care and preservation of school facilities and equipment and to ensure fairness and consistency in the implementation of Board policy governing use of facilities, the following categories are established. These categories have been set up to determine priority for use and a schedule of fees for approved users outside regular or extracurricular programs or activities when designated space and facilities are available. At all times, the Board reserves the right to cancel without notice any nonschool event in order to maintain first right of use of its facilities for school programs.

Kindergarten through twelve activities are those which directly relate to regular or extracurricular K-12 events. These include music performances, plays, athletic events, parent orientation meetings, honor society inductions, awards banquets, etc. Principals must review their master calendars before authorizing other activities. In the event that an activity would need to be displaced, a two (2) week notice must be given to the District facility use office so that accommodations can be made. Failure to comply could result in the activity being held as planned.

No rental charges will be assessed for activities and performances which are considered part of the regular or extra-curricular K-12 program. Charges related to nonregularly scheduled labor may be billed to the group depending on the nature of the activity.

Community education programs solely or jointly administered by the Board of Education will be granted second priority for available School District space and facilities. In addition, school-related support groups including (but not limited to) parent-teacher associations, parent advisory groups and booster clubs are in Category 2.

For use during usual hours of operation, no rental charges will be assessed. Any added cost for labor shall apply and will be charged to the school supported group when custodial personnel are assigned beyond their normal work schedule. All nonregularly scheduled work time must receive prior approval from central office administration. In addition, requests for permits for extraordinary activities involving prolonged setups, use and clean-up and/or special services may require an additional fee.

Community nonprofit groups are defined as governmental agencies or organized groups who provide civic, educational, or cultural activities and are staffed by volunteers. Such community nonprofit groups will be issued permits for space and facilities on third priority basis.

Examples of Category 3 users include, but are not limited to, local scout organizations, service organizations, governmental agencies such as Parks and Recreation, and Chamber of Commerce.

For use during usual hours of operation, rental charges will not normally be assessed. Any added cost for labor shall apply and will be charged to the user group when custodial personnel are assigned beyond their normal work schedule. All nonregularly scheduled work time must receive prior approval from central office administration. In addition, requests for permits for extraordinary activities involving prolonged setups, use and clean-up and/or special services may require an additional fee or a service fee.

When activities in Category 3 involve ticket sales, admission fees, participation fees for adults, or are a fund-raising nature, fees shall be charged. Fees will also be charged to Category 3 users when, in the opinion of the Superintendent or his/her designate, the majority of users attending a particular event are not Lapeer Community School District residents. Further, the Superintendent or his/her designee deserves the right to review individual cases and make adjustments accordingly.

Private Citizen Use/Nonprofit Groups are defined as informally organized groups of community residents who are interested in using school facilities for a particular use, who are requesting solitary, occasional, or regularly scheduled use for an activity with recreational, educational, cultural, religious, or charitable goals. This group includes, but is not limited to, local church-sponsored activities, religious organizations, and recreational users with limited groups not open to the public. These groups will be assigned fourth priority of available spaces.

Category 4 users will be charged according to the fee schedule. Users must prepay fifty percent (50%) of the estimated fee two (2) weeks prior to use and the remainder at the conclusion of the agreement period. Any added cost for labor shall apply and will be charged to the user group when custodial personnel are assigned beyond their normal work schedule. All nonregularly scheduled work time must receive prior approval from central office administration. In addition, requests for permits for extraordinary activities involving prolonged setups, use and clean-up and/or special services may require an additional fee.

Commercial users, defined as private, for profit businesses, vendors or entrepreneurs, shall not be routinely serviced in school buildings and are discouraged from application for K-12 facility use. Applications for use of facilities will be reviewed by the Superintendent or his/her designate. Approval for all applications in Category 5 will be based upon the following criteria:

Category 5 users will be charged according to the schedule for allowable space permits. The rental fee must be prepaid two (2) weeks prior to the activity. All other costs will be billed at the conclusion of the activity. Payment is expected within two (2) weeks of bill receipt. A cancellation fee of twenty dollars ($20.00) will be charged if the requestee cancels less than two (2) working days before the scheduled event. Any added cost for labor shall apply and will be charged to the user group when custodial personnel are assigned beyond their normal work schedule. All nonregularly scheduled work time must receive prior approval from central office administration. In addition, requests for permits for extraordinary activities involving prolonged setups, use, and clean-up and/or special services may require an additional fee.

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, 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 disaster preparedness organization 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.