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Trustees debate administrator fees, insurance and law-enforcement requirements for community rentals
Summary
Trustees questioned a $50-per-hour administrative fee, inconsistent past fee waivers and variable law-enforcement staffing for events in the district’s community-use rules; staff said the administrator presence was implemented in July 2023 and added event-insurance language in a 2023 revision.
The Policy Committee spent an extended portion of its April 2 meeting on Policy KF and Regulation KFR, which govern community use of school facilities and the application and fee schedule for rentals.
Staff read the policy’s opening language that facilities are generally available to nonprofit and governmental groups and noted an existing restriction that facilities not be rented for private corporate gain except for activities meeting curricular purposes. The committee focused on three operational items: an administrative fee for an on-site administrator, required event insurance and inconsistent fee practices across prior rentals.
Staff said the rental application and agreement was revised in July 2023 to add an event‑insurance requirement (a $1,000,000 liability limit on the policy) and to require an administrative presence at events. The published fee schedule in the draft shows an administrator rate of $50 per hour and building services at $40 per hour; staff said law-enforcement fees vary and must be requested from local police or sheriff departments.
Several trustees criticized the administrator fee and said examples in past rentals show inconsistent application of fees and waivers. One trustee said charging community renters additional fees on top of taxes that funded facilities felt like “taxing our citizens” and asked whether the district should place the responsibility for security entirely on renters rather than absorbing or arranging law enforcement staffing. Staff said law enforcement staffing recommendations come from the police or sheriff’s office and that the district consults with those agencies to determine needed coverage.
Trustees asked for clearer guidance in policy about the administrator’s on-site duties and accountability — for example, whether administrators must remain for the full event and how the district measures presence and performance. Staff said the administrator requirement was implemented administratively in July 2023 to increase supervision after prior incidents, but acknowledged trustees’ concerns and agreed to return the item to the full board for broader discussion with law enforcement and administration.
Why it matters: Community rentals are a frequent way residents use school facilities; inconsistent fees, unclear staff roles and variable law‑enforcement requirements affect community access, transparency and district liability.
Next steps: Staff will present the community-use policy and fee schedule to the full board for discussion and will provide examples of prior rental agreements and law-enforcement cost calculations so trustees can consider standardized guidelines or memorandums of understanding with police agencies.
