| Winton Woods City School District |
| Bylaws & Policies |
7510 - USE OF DISTRICT FACILITIES
The Board of Education believes that the grounds and facilities of this District 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 District.
The Board will permit the use of District 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 Business Manager.
District 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 but in direct alignment to District mission | |
| 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, religious, recreational, and educational purposes | |
| H. | commercial or profit-making organizations or individuals offering services for profit |
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. Users shall abide by all District guidelines and rules regarding the use of District 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.
District grounds and facilities shall not be used for private social functions or any purpose which is prohibited by law.
Any organization or individual desiring to use District facilities shall complete an application and submit it to the Business Office for approval.
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 shall 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. (R.C. 5915.02-08)
The Business Manager shall develop administrative guidelines for the granting of permission to use District 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 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. | The procedure for use of District facilities will follow the conditions outlined for the use of buildings. Sufficient police protection and/or adult supervision may also be required. For students or youth (age 18 years of age), an adult chaperone ratio of 1:20 is required (rounding up). e.g. twenty-two (22) youth would require two (2) adult chaperones. | |
| D. | Users shall be liable financially for damage to the facilities and for proper chaperonage (see above). | |
| E. | Charges for school personnel shall be based on the appropriate rate of pay for persons in the respective job classification (custodian, cook, etc.) whenever extra pay for school employees is required as a result of the use. | |
| F. | District reserves the right to demand sufficient time for full investigation, notice, and arrangements of all requests for the use of school facilities and reserves the right of first claim to the use of its own property. Cancellations may be issued by the Business Manager with or without due notice. All approvals are to be granted and accepted with this understanding. Any deposit is refundable when twenty-four (24) hour advance notice is given to cancel the requested use. Otherwise, those requesting the use may be responsible for payment for all costs incurred, including the cost charged for the use of the facility. | |
| G. | Normally, on days when school is closed because of inclement weather, snow or other calamity, all activities for that day will be cancelled or postponed. The group requesting the use of the facility in question in an event such as this has the responsibility to contact the Winton Woods Business Office to reschedule. | |
| H. | In no case will those who have been granted permits assign, transfer, sublet, or charge a fee to others for the use of school property. |
Ineligible Users
Groups or persons will not be granted permits when the request is for activities that are in conflict or competition with District programs or not authorized by Board policy.
Regulations
| A. | Users must take reasonable steps to ensure orderly behavior and will be responsible for paying for all damage associated with their use of the facility or equipment. | |
| B. | The District reserves the right to request payment of estimated fees in advance. | |
| C. | Smoking and the use of tobacco substitute products is prohibited in accordance with Policy 7434. All users are responsible for complying with this regulation. | |
| D. | Except for "service animals" required for use by a person with a disability, no other animals may be on school premises at any time. | |
| E. | The District may have a service animal removed from the school premises if the animal is out of control and the animal's handler does not take effective action to control it or the animal is not housebroken. The District is not responsible for the care or supervision of a service animal. The service animal is allowed to accompany its human in all areas the human is permitted to go. | |
| F. | Alcoholic beverages and controlled substances will not be permitted on District property at any time. | |
| G. | Decorations must be fireproof and shall be erected and taken down in a manner not destructive to District property. Decorations are subject to the approval of the building administrator. The use of open flames, such as candles, is permitted only with written permission from the fire marshal. | |
| H. | The user shall be fully responsible for all loss or damage to District property, including property of students and employees. | |
| I. | Requests for District-owned equipment are not included in the direct or indirect costs and shall be charged based on request and type of equipment. | |
| J. | Use of stages, furniture, and equipment must be arranged in advance. Set-up and clean-up may be performed by members of the group using the facility, provided the responsible persons are listed on the application. Additional custodial services required for work not done satisfactorily will be paid for by the using group. Arrangements must be made with the building administrator for use of any special or extra equipment. Extra compensation paid employees for moving, operating, or supervising special or extra equipment will be charged to the using group. | |
| K. | Use during summer vacation, on holidays, or during other vacation periods shall not conflict with building cleaning and renovating programs and will depend on the availability of building service personnel for supervision. | |
| L. | No unauthorized methods of obtaining funds, including any form of gambling, is permitted in District buildings or on District grounds. | |
| M. | A school custodian shall be on duty whenever a facility is being used except as exempted by the Business Office. The custodian will render custodial assistance in handling furniture and equipment and will be responsible for seeing that the facility or facilities are left in good order after the activity is over. The custodian's overtime, including clean-up time, will be charged at the appropriate hourly rate. Food-service personnel shall be required, in addition, when kitchen facilities are requested. | |
| N. | Responsibility for enforcement of rules and regulations concerning use of District facilities rests with the user group, and any infractions of the above regulations may be grounds for refusing to grant subsequent requests for the use of District facilities. | |
| O. | Corridors, exits, and stairways must be free of obstructions at all times. Exits are to be lighted when facilities are in use. Members of audience or spectators must never stand or sit so they block exits, stairways, or aisleways. | |
| P. | The District will not be responsible for any loss of valuables or personal property. | |
| Q. | Flyers, booklets, or other printed or audio-visual materials may not be distributed unless they relate directly to the activity for which the school facility is being used. | |
| R. | Non-marking gym shoes must be worn when using any gymnasium floor. | |
| S. | The use of any materials on floors or other parts of the building is strictly prohibited without specific approval in writing from the building administrator. | |
| T. | Skateboards and other like equipment which constitutes a safety hazard to students shall not be allowed on District premises at any time. |
Fee for the Use of District Buildings
A schedule of fees for the use of District facilities is determined annually based upon the following factors:
| A. | The use of District facilities for activities directly related to the educational program and District operations shall be without cost to the users, except that the users shall be responsible for any police fees. | |
| B. | The use of District facilities for any nonprofit community use shall be without cost or at a reduced cost to the users, provided said use is of direct benefit to District students and/or District residents and is aligned with the educational mission of the District, except that in any event, the users shall be responsible for any extra custodial and cafeteria employees fees or similar and for any police fees. | |
| C. | All other organizations or persons granted the use of facilities shall assume the charges stipulated in the Board-approved schedule of fees as indicated, which may be required in advance, and the cost of such additional staff services or requested additional equipment or resources as may be required. |
No liability shall attach to this District, or any of its employees and officers, specifically as a consequence of permitting access to these facilities.
R.C. 3313.75 - .79, 3501.29
P.L. 98-377
November, 2011
Revised 11/28/11