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  • SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS
E20. Community Use of School Facilities

CODE E20: COMMUNITY USE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES

Statement of Policy

Windham Northeast Supervisory Union and its member districts recognizes that although the primary purpose of the school facilities is to educate students within the district, school facilities are a valuable community resource. It is the policy of the (SU/SD) to make school facilities available to individuals and community groups without discrimination in accordance with this policy, provided the facilities are preserved for regular school activities.

Administrative Responsibilities

  1. The superintendent may authorize the use of school facilities by community members for the following purposes, provided all relevant procedures are followed:

    • a. Meetings by parent-teacher organizations and school booster organizations whose purpose is to support the operations of the schools and the school district; 

    • b. Meetings by employees’ professional organizations comprised of school district employees;

    • c. Instruction in any branch of education, learning, and the arts; 

    • d. Social, civic and recreational meetings, and entertainment, provided the events are open to the public;

    • e. Civic forums and community centers, provided the events are open to the public;

    • f. Recreation, physical training and athletics, including competitive athletic contests for children and adults; 

    • g. Private academic tutoring or music lessons;

    • h. Child care programs;

    • i. Meetings, entertainment, and occasions where admission fees are charged, when the proceeds are to be spent for an educational or charitable purpose, and the events are open to the public.

    • j. The Boy Scouts of America, Big Sisters of America and Girls Club of America, Future Farmers of America, Girls Scouts of America, Little League Baseball, Inc, and any other group intended to serve youth under the age of 21 listed in Title 36 of the U.S. Code use of school facilities upon payment of suitable fees and costs according to the district fee schedule. 

  2. The superintendent shall establish procedures for the use of school facilities by community members, which, at minimum, 
    may include reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on the use of the facilities;

    • shall not discriminate based on viewpoint; 

    • shall include a fee schedule for facilities use; 

    • shall require all users to demonstrate adequate insurance coverage;

    • shall require all users to agree to hold the district harmless from any and all liability resulting from their use of the facilities; 

    • shall require all users to make clear in announcements and publicity that their events and activities are not sponsored by the school district; and

    • [OPTION: choose one of the following and delete the other choice once your board decides whether/not to permit possession or use:] shall prohibit possession or use of a firearm or a dangerous or deadly weapon. 

      OR 
      shall permit possession or use of a firearm or a dangerous or deadly weapon for instructional or other specific purposes, e.g. gun safety courses or gun shows. 

  3. The superintendent may deny an application for use of facilities or terminate an individual or group’s use for the following reasons:

    • Uses that are likely to cause a material and substantial disruption to school operations;

    • events and meetings promoting or sponsored by a political party;

    • political campaign events by someone running for office;

    • uses that interfere with school district maintenance and repair of facilities;

    • uses that could damage special equipment in the facilities;

    • uses that could reasonably be expected to or actually do give rise to a riot or public disturbance;

    • events or meetings of private for-profit entities;

    • events at which fees are charged for profit;

    • uses where alcoholic beverages or unlawful drugs are sold, distributed, consumed, promoted or possessed; and

    • any other uses prohibited by law.

VSBA Review Date: October 3, 2023

Date Warned: December 18, 2024
Date Adopted: February 19, 2025

Legal References

16 V.S.A. § (3), (5) (Powers of school boards)
13. V.S.A. § 4004
20 U.S.C. § 7905 (Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act)
18 U.S.C. § 921 (Gun Free School Zones Act of 1990)
Travis v. Owego-Apalachin School Dist., 927 F.2d 688 (2d Cir. 1991)
Lamb’s Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School Dist., 508 U.S. 384 (1993)
Good News Club v. Milford Central Schools, 533 U.S. 98 (2001)
Child Evangelism Fellowship of South Carolina v. Anderson, 47 F.3d 1062 (4th Cir. 2006)
Hickock v. Orange County Comm. College, 472 F. Supp. 2d 469 (S.D.N.Y. 2006)

Cross References

Student Athletics, Clubs and Activities 

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