Administrative Procedure 546

USE OF DIVISION FACILITIES

Background

The primary purpose of school facilities is to support educational opportunities and Division-approved activities. The Division believes, after these requirements have been met, the community shall have reasonable access to school facilities for education, recreation and wellness.

Definitions

Adult Recreational:
is a group of participants 18 years of age and older.

Area:
is a classroom, gymnasium or other approved space.

Change Fee:
is a fee charged to user groups for excessive revisions to contracts and/or the cancellation of contracts.

Damage Deposit:
is a charge to user groups where the potential for damage to facilities and/or equipment exists.

Permit:
can be issued to both school and community users. Schools and community users are required to have a permit for use of any Division building Monday to Friday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on a Saturday where it is open to the public (e.g., tournament).

Specialty Area:
is an area such as the CTS lab, theatre/drama room, cafeteria, kitchen, science room, library, music room or fitness room where specialized/expensive materials are housed and may be at risk of being damaged or stolen.

Youth Recreational:
is a group where the majority of participants reside within the general geographic area of the Division and the majority of the group is school age or younger.

Procedures

1. After-Hours Community Rentals
   1. Revenue received from the rental of school facilities shall cover costs incurred to the Division.
   2. Rates charged for school facility rentals shall be in accordance with the Rental Fee Schedule.
   3. As per Board Policy 2, Role of the Board, the Board shall approve rental fees annually as part of the budget process. Any adjustments to rates shall be effective September 1 of the following year.
   4. Rental rates and booking processes apply to all Division employees involved in any after-school use.
   5. School facility rentals shall be requested using the Facility Rental Request Form (Form 546-1).
   6. Community bookings shall be made on a priority basis:
      1. school- and Division-sponsored programs;
      2. recreational/educational programs administered by a municipal authority where a reciprocal use agreement is in place;
      3. youth and adult education, recreation and wellness programs where the majority of the users reside within the community;
      4. private groups; and
      5. profit-making groups.
   7. Specialty areas shall not be used by the community.
   8. Permission for community use of any school furniture and equipment shall require the advance approval of the Principal. Use of facilities, equipment or materials by employees is not permitted unless this use directly supports the employee’s job-related functions (see AP 549 Personal Use of Division Facilities, Equipment, and Materials).
   9. Next Step Continuing Education shall co-ordinate the booking of all school facilities, collection of payments and payment of custodial costs in Sherwood Park and Fort Saskatchewan. Rural schools shall perform their own booking functions.
   10. In the event of a conflict between renters or potential renters and the Division, the Principal of Next Step (for urban schools) or the Director of Facility Services (for rural schools) shall attempt to resolve the conflict. Their decision shall be final.
   11. Principals shall submit, to their respective booking agent, after-hours bookings for school functions by no later than May 15 of each year for the following school year. To minimize cost impacts, the specific areas and times shall be included.
   12. A custodian shall be present for the duration of all community or school user groups after-hours bookings where the public are in attendance and shall ensure user groups have access to:
       1. the facility 15 minutes prior to and 15 minutes after the contracted time;
       2. first aid equipment; and
       3. washroom facilities.
   13. School facilities may be available for after-hours bookings:
       1. Monday through Friday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; and
       2. Saturday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (custodian required: external user rental fees include a gym clean-up fee; Division users pay custodial supervision and clean-up fee)
   14. School facilities shall not be available for after-hours bookings on:
       1. Sundays;
       2. statutory holidays;
       3. spring, summer, fall and winter breaks; or
       4. between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on non-instructional days.
   15. School use of a school facility beyond the times outlined in clauses 1.13 and 1.14 (e.g., sleepovers, wake-a-thons, etc.) require approval of the Superintendent before booking, and subsequent notification of the Director of Facility Services.
   16. Use of school facilities on weekends for school athletic or other practices (e.g., drama) shall be at the Principal’s discretion. A custodian is not required during these time periods. The teacher/supervisor is required to open/close the facility, remove garbage and clean any affected areas.
   17. Contracts shall be prepared and signed for all bookings. Contracts must be signed and returned to the Principal of Next Step or designate (Sherwood Park and Fort Saskatchewan) or Principal (rural schools) within 72 hours of being allowed access to a school facility. Failure to do so may result in cancellation of the booking.
   18. Rentals shall not exceed one school year in length without renewal.
   19. The booking agent shall provide sufficient copies of the General Conditions for the Use of School Facilities to the individual who arranges the contract for distribution to supervisor(s) in charge of rental groups.
   20. All user groups shall abide by the General Conditions for the Use of School Facilities.
   21. Use of school facilities may be cancelled if the privilege granted is being abused, if payments are not made or if the terms of the contract are breached.
   22. All rental groups shall provide continuous adult supervision during the rental period.
   23. Principals shall make every effort to avoid cancelling a community booking. In the event a school facility is required for school use, the Principal shall provide advance notice to the booking agent at least 72 hours prior to the time for which the school facility has been booked.
   24. All rental groups shall be prepared to relinquish their allotted time, should the Principal require the use of the school. 
2. Leasing of Division Facilities
   1. Leasing of school facilities shall be considered on the basis of functional compatibility, space availability, land use compliance and financial impact.
   2. The Director of Facility Services or designate shall work with schools and departments to determine space required for school programs and to identify surplus school space available for lease.
   3. The decision to lease school facilities is at the discretion of the Director of Facility Services, in consultation with the Principal.
   4. The lease operational hours shall be aligned with Division operational hours, and business functions shall not have adverse impacts to education outcomes.
   5. Leases for space within schools may be revoked to meet emergent Division needs.
   6. Requests to lease surplus space shall be the responsibility of the lessee and shall be submitted to the Director of Facility Services. Requests shall be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
   7. Where circumstances are such that the Division wishes to solicit proposals to lease surplus space, such proposals shall be evaluated on the basis of size/background, approach, services offered and relevant experience.
   8. The Director of Facility Services shall work with principals to establish appropriate locations, operating requirements, operational needs, and terms and conditions that shall form the basis of the lease.
   9. Leases shall be signed by all external organizations.
   10. Lease groups that are required to obtain approvals from regulatory agencies shall be solely responsible for obtaining such approvals.
   11. As per Board Policy 2, Role of the Board, lease rates shall be approved annually by the Board as part of the budget process. Any adjustments to rates shall be effective September 1 of the following year.
   12. Lease rates for 'non-profit' organizations shall, at minimum, be on a cost-recovery basis.
   13. Lease rates for 'for-profit' organizations shall, at minimum, be set at a rate that provides a reasonable rate of return.
   14. In the event of a conflict between lessees and the Division, the Director of Facility Services shall attempt to resolve the conflict. If the conflict cannot be resolved, it shall be brought to the Superintendent whose decision shall be final.
3. Mutual Facility Use
   1. The Division may enter into mutual use agreements with the municipal authorities within the boundaries of the Division when there is mutual benefit.
   2. The intent of a mutual use agreement shall be to provide the Division the opportunity to utilize municipal facilities for the delivery of instructional programs during the normal school day when the facilities are not being used for regular municipal purposes. This use shall be at minimal cost to the Division wherever possible. Reciprocally, Division facilities will be offered to municipalities to support community health and wellness.
   3. The Director of Facility Services shall negotiate mutual use agreements between the Division and the municipalities.
   4. All mutual use agreements shall be approved by the Superintendent.

References

Section 20, 60, 61, 113, 195 School Act
Societies Act
Fees and Charges Manual
School Infrastructure Manual

Last updated: October 2018