Board updates facilities-use policy, delegates some approvals to COO and approves multiple waivers; members push for vetting and background checks

The policy and legislation committee presented a revised district policy on the use of school facilities (Board Policy 13-30) that organizes eligible organizations into priority tiers and gives the COO delegated authority to approve some facility uses to streamline decisions. Superintendent Doctor Schwartz said the change aligns district procedure with model state language and adds an internal approval tier to allow nimble responses for time-sensitive requests.

Board members raised procedural and equity concerns: Commissioner Lott warned that COO delegation should not become an outsourcing shortcut that disadvantages long-standing local nonprofits; Commissioner Van Stone urged mandatory volunteer vetting and background checks for groups with adults in buildings and asked that fees collected be directed to the Board of Education rather than city coffers. Staff said the new electronic workflow will require uploads of insurance and documentation about the organization’s service to Waterbury children and that applications could be routed for manual review when needed.

At the regular meeting the board approved several waiver requests (Wren Community Events, The Links, NEST) and voted on a larger youth-basketball waiver request (Tom Plott Sports) that resulted in a 4–4 tie and failed; the board agreed to table or review some long-term facility requests until the new procedures are active.