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Lakeland district staff revise draft facilities-use policy covering priorities, insurance, cancellations and signage
Summary
District staff reviewed and revised a draft Lakeland Joint School District facilities-use policy, clarifying priorities for use, fee categories, application timelines, a $1,000,000 insurance requirement, 48-hour applicant cancellation rules, limits on peak gym use and rules for signage and decorations.
District staff and board representatives spent a working session reviewing a revised draft of the Lakeland Joint School District facilities-use policy, focusing on who may use district buildings and fields, required insurance and deposits, cancellation rules, seasonal scheduling and limits on signage.
Staff read a new 'Priorities for use' section that gives district functions and activities priority over community requests and categorizes external users into no-fee and fee categories. No-fee examples include governmental entities with an MOU, school-related groups (PTA/PTO/boosters) and chartered youth groups with more than 50% Lakeland students; fee categories include out-of-district teams, adult recreational clubs and events that do not directly benefit students.
The draft sets concrete application and payment timing: facility use requests must be submitted online through the district website at least 10 business days before an event, and all fees and a refundable key deposit must be paid before an application is approved. Seasonal or sports-season agreements must be renewed annually and seasonal scheduling for partners such as parks and recreation requires a firm timeline under the district's MOU.
The policy requires applicants to provide public liability insurance naming the district as an additional insured with coverage of not less than $1,000,000 aggregate; staff said the board reserves the right to require higher coverage depending on the request. Keys and key cards may be issued after receipt of a refundable deposit and must be returned by the date shown on the key receipt (but not less than 10 days after the last scheduled use). The draft allows the district to assess costs to change locks when keys are lost.
Cancellation provisions were revised for clarity. The district may cancel a facility reservation for school needs, emergencies, weather conditions, safety concerns or other operational requirements — including on the day of the event — and any deposit or fees received will be refunded as appropriate. Renting organizations may cancel a facility use agreement by written notice delivered to the district no less than 48 hours before the beginning time; staff flagged that deposits may be nonrefundable when less than 48 hours' notice is given.
Staff debated whether to continue allowing classroom rentals during the school year for events such as craft fairs, PTO festivals or outside seminars. Multiple participants suggested leaving final discretion to building principals, noting existing practice: building-level staff are contacted before approval and principals already sign facility-use agreements. The group discussed special rules and conditions for gymnasiums and classrooms and whether classrooms should be explicitly excluded or governed by building discretion.
During so-called peak gymnasium use months — staff noted in the draft that gym facilities "may be limited" for certain fee categories to maximize availability for Lakeland students — participants worked to make the language consistent ("gym facilities" vs. "gymnasium"). If all other scheduling factors are equal, the district may use a lottery to determine priority.
Rules on conduct, equipment and decorations were tightened. Alcohol, tobacco, narcotics and other illegal substances are prohibited; users must not remove district equipment unless expressly authorized; equipment use may require a qualified operator and users accept liability for damage. Signage and decorations must not damage district property, directional signage is limited to the day of the event and must be removed immediately after, and decorations that create excessive cleanup or safety hazards may be denied or restricted.
Staff also worked through editorial and formatting issues across the draft and agreed to bring the edited version to the board for further review. Several participants asked that ambiguous or duplicate phrasing be simplified and that building-level discretion for classroom use be preserved as an operational detail for principals to manage.
Next steps: staff will continue editing the draft to correct wording, reformat bulleted sections, and return a cleaned version for board consideration; the policy discussion will continue at a future meeting.
