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Patterson Unified School District Use of School Facilities

Civic Center Use

Subject to district policies and regulations, school facilities and grounds shall be available to citizens and community groups as a civic center for the following purposes: (Education 32282, 38131)

Public, literary, scientific, recreational, educational or public agency meetings.
The discussion of matters of general or public interest.
The conduct of religious services for temporary periods (not to exceed one year), on a one-time or renewable basis, by any church or religious organization. No storage permitted.
Child care programs to provide supervision and activities for children of preschool and elementary school age. (cf. 5148 - Child Care and Development)
The administration of examinations for the selection of personnel or the instruction of precinct board members by public agencies.
Supervised recreational activities including, but not limited to, sports league activities that are arranged for and supervised by entities, including religious organizations or churches, and in which youths may participate regardless of religious belief or denomination.
A community youth center. (cf. 1020 - Youth Services)
Mass care and welfare shelters during disasters or other emergencies affecting the public health and welfare. (cf. 3516 - Emergencies and Disaster Preparedness Plan)
Precinct use for elections.
Other purposes deemed appropriate by the Board of Trustees.

Application for Use of Facilities

The Director of Facilities and Construction or authorized designee shall maintain application procedures and regulations for the use of school facilities which: (Education Code 38133)

Encourage and assist groups desiring to use school facilities for approved activities.
Preserve order in school buildings and on school grounds, and protect school facilities. If necessary, a person may be designated to supervise this task.
Ensure that the use of facilities or grounds is consistent with the use of the schools facilities or grounds for school purposes and does not interfere with the regular conduct of school work.

Any persons applying for the use of school property on behalf of any society, group or organization shall present written authorization from the group to make the application.

Persons or organizations applying for the use of school facilities shall submit a statement of information indicating that the organization upholds the state and federal constitutions and does not intend to use school premises to commit unlawful acts.

Application must be made on the district form at the school site and submitted to the Facilities Department at least 10 days prior to the date of use but no more than six months prior to the date of use.

Restrictions

School facilities shall not be used for any of the following activities:

Any use by an individual or group for the commission of any crime or any act prohibited by law.
Any use which is inconsistent with the use of the school facility for school purposes or which interferes with the regular conduct of school or school work.
Any use which is discriminatory in the legal sense.
Any use which involves the possession, consumption or sale of alcoholic beverages or any restricted substances, including tobacco and tobacco substances. (cf. 3513.3 (Tobacco-Free Schools) (cf. 5131.6 - Alcohol and Other Drugs)

The following school facilities are not available for use by outside persons or organizations.

Offices
Computer rooms
Technology Centers
Science Rooms and other rooms containing hazardous chemicals or equipment that cannot be used safely without special knowledge or skills.

Priority of Use

Groups, organizations, or persons using school facilities or grounds shall be liable for any property damages caused by the activity. The Board may charge the amount necessary to repair the damages and may deny the group further use of school facilities or grounds.

Any group or organization using school facilities shall be liable for any injuries resulting from its negligence during the use of district facilities or grounds. The group shall bear the cost of insuring against this risk and defending itself against claims arising from this risk. (Education Code 38134)

All groups shall be required to include the district as additional insured on their liability policies.

Damage and Liability

Notice of Cancellation: The Facilities Department shall be given a minimum of 8 business days in advance notice of a cancellation by the applicant.

Payment must be received 7 days before the facility usage or the reservation will be canceled. Reservation is not final until payment is received.

Presence of District Personnel: All activities shall require the presence of authorized district personnel at all times. Parks and Recreation activities shall require the presence of a Parks and Recreation supervisor at all times.

Supervision: All juvenile organizations and groups seeking use of school premises must have adequate adult sponsorships and supervision of all facilities used, including the restrooms.

Summer Use: Summer use permits will be cancelled as of one week prior to the opening day of school in the fall.

Revocations: The district may revoke permits without previous notice when conflicting dates result or when the need of the property for public school purposes has subsequently developed. If this is necessary, a minimum of 24 hours advance notice shall be given whenever possible.

Denial: Applications will be denied if past history of use by an organization for similar use has resulted in violation of board policy, inconvenience for school use, unpaid costs for damages, consistent lack of supervision, or non-payment of fees.

Keys to School Facilities: Keys to school facilities shall not be issued to anyone other than full-time school employees, others at the Superintendent's or designee's discretion.

Equipment: The only equipment available for rental from the school district shall be folding chairs, tables, and risers. Other equipment such as computers, VCRs, projectors, tools, etc. owned by the district may not be rented or taken from the school buildings at any time. Any exception to this policy must meet the approval of the site administrator and the Director of Facilities and Construction.

Kitchen Facilities: Any use of a kitchen or food service facility must be stated on the Facility Use Permit Application.

All requests for kitchen use shall be coordinated with the Director of Food Services.

Kitchen facilities and any kitchen equipment shall not be used unless supervised by food service personnel.

Field Use: Applicants requesting the use of a field for a period in excess of four hours shall be required to pay for the use of restroom facilities unless other provisions for restroom facilities have been arranged. During athletic seasons, the groups using the fields or outside areas must furnish portable restrooms. Placement locations are to be coordinated with each site.

Classroom Use: Use of elementary classrooms will not normally be allowed, however, usage may be permitted under special circumstances.

Duties of Assigned Personnel: Activities held at times other than hours covered by regular employee assignments shall be conducted in the presence of an employee assigned for this purpose. The employee so assigned shall arrange to conduct other school work (cleaning, etc.) in proximity of activities so as to be able to assist when needed and to protect school property. In the event the activity requires additional personnel for the specific program, only district-approved employees shall be utilized.

Activities held during regular working hours shall be billed an opening and closing fee equal to two hours. The district's site employee shall unlock and check-in the user at the beginning of the event, check-out the user and lock the facility at the end of the event, and clean the area used at the end of the event.

Student Light/Sound Technicians: The district will maintain a list of district-approved students trained to operate the lights and sound equipment at the theaters and stadiums. In the event the use of a theater or stadium and lighting and sound equipment is requested by an outside group, the district will arrange for coverage by a district-approved student or employee to be paid for by the user in the per hour amount established in the fee schedule. At no time will the theater or stadium lighting and sound equipment be operated by anyone except a district employee or district-approved student.

Setting Up Facilities: Employees assigned to civic activities that require additional time in excess of that authorized or those showing improper use of school facilities should be brought promptly to the attention of the Director of Facilities and Construction.

Prohibition of Animals on School Grounds: Animals of all types and kinds, whether or not people are controlling them or have custody of them, are prohibited on all district facilities except as provided below:

The administrator of each site may grant permission to an applicant who wishes to bring an animal on campus for the purpose of furthering an instructional program of the district.
Properly licensed seeing-eye or hearing-ear dogs accompanying a disabled participant in an instructional program are uniformly and automatically exempted from this policy.

It is the express intention of the school district that this policy meets requirements of the California Penal Code 374.4, and the California Vehicle Code 2113.