Agreement for the Use of District Facilities Information

Policy 7510 Reference The Board believes that the grounds and facilities of the 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. Full use of these facilities for educational, civic, cultural, recreational, artistic, or charitable programs is encouraged by the Board with appropriate compensation to the Board associated with use. The Board will permit the use of district grounds and facilities, when such *permission has been requested through our online reservation process by a responsible organization or a group of citizens and has been approved by the Superintendent.

Use by School-Oriented Organizations and Groups

• There shall be no rental charge for use of school facilities and equipment to approved groups and organizations related to and connected with the school, students and/or activities and events directly related to the operation or support of the school. *All applicable indirect costs are required to be reimbursed for the use.
• Custodial services shall be rendered at no charge to school-oriented groups, if the use of the facilities occurs during hours of operation normally covered by school custodians and if the event or activity does not create additional need for custodial services.
• School kitchens must be operated by regular cafeteria employees only. Charges will be assessed for the actual hourly rate, including applicable fringe benefits, for cafeteria employees on duty during the use.

Use by Non-school Oriented Organizations and Groups:

• There shall be a charge for the use of school facilities and equipment to groups and organizations not directly school related and/or oriented.
• Usage charges shall be established by the Superintendent and shall be based upon the facilities being used.
• Payment shall be made in advance by check payable to the Board.
• A representative of the school shall be on the school grounds during the hours of use of facilities.
• Custodial services are included in the basic facility usage fee except when additional services are needed and/or when the use of the facility occurs outside normal hours when a representative of the district is not on the school campus.
• Charges made for extra custodial services described above shall be the hourly rate, including applicable fringe benefits, of the employee on duty during use.

Long-Term Use

Long-term use agreements for school facilities shall be executed by written contract approved by the Board. The Superintendent shall negotiate a specific agreement for approval by the Board.

Admission Fee

Notwithstanding the provisions above, non-school-oriented organizations and groups may use District facilities upon approval of the Superintendent and charge an admission fee provided:

• Such fee is only to recover costs associated with holding the specific event on District property
• The use of the facility is of educational benefit to students
• An approved facility usage agreement is executed for each use and all applicable facility use charges have been paid

Intent

The intent of this policy may not be circumvented by any agency or organization described herein through use of the Board or County General Cooperative Agreement or similar agreements.

Denial of Use

The Superintendent may deny use of facilities or equipment to any agency or organization whose purpose in using District facilities and/or equipment is considered by the Superintendent to be incompatible with this rule.

Use of Equipment Rental

Equipment, other than the normal furnishings of a particular facility, is not available for rental except by special permission of the Superintendent. No property or equipment shall be used for any of the following purposes

• Commercial or personal gain
• Programs involving any form of gambling or any illegal activity
• Private teaching, except by accredited institutions of higher education
• Activities in violation of any Board regulation
• By any organization or party which believes in or teaches directly or indirectly, the overthrow of the governments of the United States, the State of Florida, and/or Hillsborough County

Liability Insurance Requirements:

• The Organization or its subcontractors shall provide the School with proof of general liability insurance to cover all of its and its subcontractors’ activities at the Property with an amount of $500,000 per accident and $1,000,000 per occurrence.
• Must have HCPS listed as “Additionally Insured” and should read exactly as follows:

Hillsborough County Public Schools
901 E Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, FL. 33602

Annual Compliance Requirement for Parent Volunteer Organizations

All parent volunteer organizations—including PTA/PTSA, Booster Clubs, Alumni Associations, and Foundations—must annually submit a “Blanket Use of Facility” request via Facilitron.com.

This request does not reserve facility space or grant permission to host specific events. Instead, it provides general authorization for the organization to operate in association with the school—such as using the school’s name and engaging in fundraising—once all compliance requirements are met. These requirements include:

• A valid Certificate of Insurance (COI)
• Compliance with applicable parent organization and/or IRS regulations
• Approval from both the school and the district

Until approval is received, parent volunteer organizations are not permitted to fundraise, hold meetings or events, or use the school’s name. To host specific events or use school facilities, a separate event application must be submitted through Facilitron for each individual date and space requested.

Per annual agreement, PTA/Booster Clubs will be required to enter a separate use of facility agreement for:

• ANY/ALL carnivals, fairs, festivals etc. no matter when they take place
• Any after-school programs sponsored by PTA/PTSA or Booster Club(s)
• All weekend, evening or events scheduled on non-student days

Each reservation will serve as a separate use of facility agreement for these events. Dates can be entered at any time but must be submitted 30 days prior to planned event.

Note: PTA and Booster Clubs are waived from paying rental fees. However, these organizations are still required to cover the operational costs associated with reservations, to prevent these costs from infringing on the school or district's budget(s). These costs can include personnel OT, utilities when not in normal use and custodial supplies such as hand soap, toilet paper, paper towels, and other cleaning supplies used during their events. Every reservation is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.