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Board reviews revised public-use policy as members press for easier community access to outdoor facilities
Summary
Board members and district staff discussed proposed revisions to Policy 1500 on public use of school facilities, seeking to widen community access while addressing staffing, liability and security concerns.
The board continued a multi-meeting review of Policy 1500 (public use of school facilities) and the accompanying regulation (1500-R), focusing on balancing community access and liability or staffing constraints.
District administrator Dan Bridal summarized proposed changes intended to make school facilities more welcoming to community users. Under the draft policy, not-for-profit groups using district facilities during hours when staff are present would pay no or minimal fees; if use requires staff outside contract hours (for example, on weekends), not-for-profit users would be charged to cover custodial and staffing costs. For-profit users would be permitted to use district space only if they donate 100 percent of fees and proceeds to an educational charity of their choosing, per the proposed language.
Bridal described the reservation process: organizations must register in the district’s master scheduling (ML) system, provide up-to-date insurance, and have requests routed to approvers in athletics, fine arts and school buildings. The draft also allows staff to make exceptions to the standard 14-day advance requirement on a case-by-case basis, and it preserves district priority for educational uses and safety-related rescheduling (for example, due to field conditions).
Board members expressed strong interest in increasing community access, particularly for outdoor amenities. Several said they want individuals and small groups to be able to use tennis courts, tracks and fields during unscheduled times without onerous barriers. Board members and staff discussed constraints that complicate open access: liability concerns, storage or maintenance areas adjacent to fields, previous incidents of property damage and the need to prevent jeopardizing student safety.
Bridal and other staff said they are exploring creative options—weekday open hours when staff are scheduled, volunteer-staffed weekend windows and other procedural modifications—and will continue to consult legal counsel and the policy committee. The draft policy was not put to a first vote at the meeting; staff said the policy will return to policy committee for additional edits before any formal adoption vote.
