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LAUSD to modernize community-use platform and adjust civic-center and market rates; proposes new "student benefit" rate
Summary
District staff proposed two RFPs for a third-party community-use platform and document system, a new student-benefit rate for qualifying nonprofits that do not charge students, and a two-year phased increase to civic-center and market rates to close an estimated operating subsidy gap (staff estimated a $8 million annual subsidy under current rates).
The committee heard an update from Assam Dadul, director of facilities planning and development, on planned changes to how the district governs community use of school sites and civic-center permits.
Platform and process changes: Dadul said the district has released an RFP for a third-party "community-use platform" (a public-facing reservation site and master calendar) and anticipates releasing a document-management RFP for internal license and permit files shortly. "That solicitation is currently out on the street and we anticipate receiving proposals sometime early June," he said of the community-use platform.
Student-benefit and rate changes: Dadul described a proposed "student benefit" rate for qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations that provide programs to students or families and do not charge participants; the policy would keep boosters and PTAs on Civic Center processing but expand eligibility for certain nonprofits. Staff also compared LAUSD’s flat civic-center rate (currently $38/hr) and market rates (example average cited $260/hr) to peer districts, and presented a case study for a 60,000-square-foot athletic field where operating cost was estimated at $368/hr. Dadul said that, across facilities, the district is effectively subsidizing community use and estimated a roughly $8 million annual shortfall under current pricing.
Phasing and outreach: Dadul proposed a two-year, phased approach to raising rates rather than a single steep increase—targeting an initial change in 2027–28 and a follow-up in 2028–29—while conducting targeted outreach to high-use campus partners so they have advance notice. He emphasized that school uses remain free and that the student-benefit rate is intended to preserve access for programs that serve students and do not charge fees.
Questions from board members focused on equity and edge cases: members asked how programs that charge tournament fees or that are volunteer-run would be treated, whether film productions are in scope, and how to prioritize hyper-local organizations. Staff committed to refining an eligibility checklist, clarifying how the California Education Code’s $60/month threshold for recreational youth programs is applied, and doing targeted outreach before implementing changes.
What happens next: staff will analyze peer comparisons and legal constraints, finalize RFP selection, produce an engagement plan for high-use partners, and return to the board with a policy update in fall 2026 alongside a two-year rate rollout schedule.
