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File: DFG-R |
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REGULATIONS GOVERNING COMMUNITY USE OF SCHOOL
FACILITIES A. General The Gardner
Public School District shall make available the facilities of the school
district for educational, recreational and civic purposes to recognized,
responsible organizations/persons within the District: (a) if the proposed
activity does not interfere with the school program, (b) if the activity is
in keeping with the purpose and compatible with the facilities of the school,
or in special cases, if it is deemed by the School Committee to be in the
best interest of the community. Use
of school facilities are subject to the following regulations: 1.
An
Application/Agreement for the Use of School Facilities from the
building principal and must be signed by the building principal before
submission. The Director of Athletics
must also sign permits for the use of athletic facilities. 2.
The permit shall be
signed by a responsible resident of the City of Gardner who shall agree to
the strict adherence to the rules and procedures governing the use of school
facilities. However, this will not
preclude an employee of the Gardner Public Schools who is not a city resident
from signing the permit. 3.
The Superintendent of
Schools or his/her agent must approve all permits. The Superintendent of Schools may rescind a permit previously
issued for sufficient cause. 4.
When a permit is
granted, services needed shall be arranged by the user directly with the
building principal. Under no
circumstances will keys be given to the requesting users or organizations. 5.
School facilities may
not be used for religious purposes, except as allowed by the Federal “Open
Access” laws. 6.
All meetings,
entertainment, or occasions held in the schools or on the school grounds must
be non-discriminatory. 7.
Activities that carry
an admission charge may be permitted when the proceeds are to be used for a
charitable or educational purpose. A
detailed financial statement showing total receipts and expenses for each use
of facilities for which admission is charged must be available upon request
of the Superintendent’s office. 8.
When a school building
is used by an organization for the sale and consumption of non-alcoholic
refreshments, it shall be restricted to areas designated by the building
principal. However, nothing will be
permitted to compete with the school program and/or schools operating
concession stands. 9.
The use of school
facilities is prohibited for merchandizing or commercial purposes. 10.
If necessary, the City
of Gardner shall have the free use of selected school buildings for polling
purposes, under conditions approved by the School Committee and when such
activity does not interfere with school programs. 11.
There shall be no use,
possession, sale, or distribution of alcohol or controlled substances at any
time in the school buildings or on school grounds. Absolutely no smoking is permitted on school property. No firearms, equipment, incendiary
devices, or substances of any kind considered harmful by the School Committee
is allowed on school property. The
use of profane and vulgar language is strictly prohibited. 12.
Youth activities must
be under the strict supervision of adult sponsors at all times. The adult sponsor shall be named on the
Application/Agreement for the Use of School Facilities and shall be directly
responsible for the activities of the group. 13.
Only authorized school
personnel shall operate kitchen, stage, sound, and projection equipment. A member of the school staff is required
to be present when using the kitchen for food preparation or the
drama/theater area. The using
organization agrees to pay the additional costs incurred to include time and
a half wages. 14.
All groups shall pay
for the attendance of a police officer when deemed necessary by the
Superintendent, and shall pay such costs to the City of Gardner. 15.
The custodian’s duties
will be to oversee the activity, clean up and secure the areas occupied by
the group. 16.
Extra expenses
incurred by the school system for facility usage will be paid by the user,
i.e., wages at time and a half and benefits for additional staff required. 17.
The applicant must
assure responsibility for order and safety.
Facilities and equipment should be inspected by the applicant prior to
the activity and are accepted as safe and suitable for their intended
purpose. The applicant and a member
of the school staff will carefully examine the facility used by the applicant
after each use to determine any damages. 18.
Groups are responsible
for leaving school facilities in a neat and orderly fashion. The furniture arrangement in the rooms
shall be left as originally found. If
the facilities are not left in their original condition, the School System
reserves the right to charge for any additional work required to return the
rooms to their original condition. 19.
In case of any damage
to school property by those using the facilities, the cost of the necessary
repairs shall be paid to the School Department. Further use of school facilities shall not be granted to the
persons or organizations responsible for said damage until all repairs have
been paid in full. 20.
Applicants are
required to present evidence of liability insurance, with the City of Gardner
named as an additional insured, in an amount deemed adequate by the City
Treasurer in consultation with the city insurance advisor. Whether or not the user maintains
insurance, the user shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Gardner Public
Schools from any claims, demands, expenses, attorney’s fees and liability
which may be imposed upon by the school system by reason of any act or
omission on school property by the user, its agents, guests, invitees,
licensees and agents, as stated on the Application/Agreement for the Use of
School Facilities. 21.
The activity shall be
restricted to that area for which permission is granted. The nearest available lavatories shall be
used. 22.
The activity shall not
extend beyond the hours approved in the request. For planning purposes, the space used shall be vacated no later
than 10:00 p.m., unless a specific exemption has been granted. 23.
The person in charge
of the activity shall be present one-half hour before the start of the
activity and is to remain with the group until all members of the group have
left. B. Permit Fees 1.
User fees must be
received at the office of the Superintendent of Schools prior to the date of
the scheduled event, unless otherwise agreed. 2.
Checks should be made
payable to the City of Gardner. 3.
All fees received from
the use of school facilities are to be deposited into the Building Use
Revolving Fund. 4.
Custodial/Staff Fees
are per hour and are to be determined by the Business Administrator. The time used to calculate the custodial
charge shall be the length of the event plus one hour to cover the average
set up time prior to the event and the average time to secure the building
after the event. If a custodian or
staff is required, there shall be a minimum charge of three (3) hours, after
which the charge will be calculated into the nearest half-hour. If additional cleaning is required, that
time will be added to the fees. 5.
Waivers of fees shall
not be granted. 6.
Fee Structure:
* Use of Facilities or Fields will require maintenance fee. C. Miscellaneous 1.
Any special set-up
requests must be submitted in writing to the building principal at the time
of application. 2.
Only approved athletic
shoes may be worn in the gymnasium for athletic events. No hanging on backboards, nets, or support
brackets is allowed. No food or
beverages are allowed without prior permission. 3.
If a group needs to
cancel their facility use, they should contact the building principal as soon
as possible. If costs are incurred
due to insufficient notice of cancellation, the using group may still be
subject to fees and costs. 4.
School facilities will
not be available for use if school has been closed due to weather or other
emergencies. 5.
No golf is allowed on
any field under the jurisdiction of the Gardner Public Schools. 6.
Due to possible damage
to the in-ground sprinkler systems, the track, tennis court and other playing
surfaces, no vehicle of any kind is allowed on the playing fields
without the prior written approval of the Director of Athletics. 7.
Any use of school facilities
not covered by these regulations shall be at the sole discretion of the
School Committee. [Revised:
June 2003] [Revised:
June 2009] |