General Conditions
- School activities shall have first preference.
- he custodian on duty is to be regarded as the representative of the District.
- There shall be no use, possession, sale or distribution of alcohol or controlled substances as defined in Board Policy 5312.1, Drug and Alcohol Abuse at any time in the school buildings or on school property.
- An hourly charge, set forth below, will be paid to the school district for any necessary staffing.
- There shall be no smoking or use of e-cigarettes or vapes in school buildings or on school grounds.
- Appropriate athletic shoes must be worn by participants in sports or games conducted on the gymnasium floors. Spectators are to walk in designated areas.
- All activities for elementary and secondary school students and/or individuals under the age of 18 must be under strict supervision of adult sponsors at all times.
- Only authorized school district employees or adults authorized by the School Food Service Director shall operate kitchen equipment. Charges for food service staff will be assessed per the labor charge below.
- Only authorized school district employees or adults authorized by the Building Principal shall operate stage, sound, lighting, and projection equipment. If a member of the professional staff is required to be present, they shall be paid at the applicable rate provided at the time of application.
- Responsibility for order and safety must be assured by the applicant. The applicant or a qualified designee must be present at the event. Any damage to school property shall be reimbursed by the organization using same.
- The space used shall be vacated no later than 11 p.m., unless a specific exception is granted in the permit.
- A detailed financial statement showing total receipts and expenses for each use of the building(s) or grounds for which admission is charged must be available on request. The financial statement, once in possession of the school district, becomes a public record.
- It shall be understood that the Superintendent or designee has sole authority to grant or reject requests for the use of school facilities and equipment.
- Any group using school facilities is required to present evidence of liability insurance, with the District named as an additional insured, in the certificate holder section. Minimum Required is $1,000,000 per Occurrence / $2,000,000 Aggregate. Full insurance requirements are available upon request.
- In case of an emergency, all buildings will be available to the American Red Cross.
- All individuals shall act in a manner consistent with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations, as well as all policies, regulations and/or rules of the school district including policy and regulation, 1520 and 1520-R, Public Conduct on School Property.
- Use of facilities is limited to the sole purposes documented in this policy and regulation and in the application form to be completed by any applicant desiring to use District facilities. [See Rules contained in Exhibit 1500-E].
User Group Classifications
All applicants are assigned to one of five groups that determine applicable fees and scheduling priority. The Superintendent or designee makes final classification determinations.
Group I – School District Use
District programs, extra-classroom activities, and school-sponsored events using District facilities are not subject to facility fees or labor costs, as these uses fall within the District’s normal operations and staffing.
Group II – School-Related Organizations
Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTA/PTO/PTSA), the PTA Council, Booster Clubs affiliated with District athletic or activity programs, the Valley Central Education Foundation (VCEF), the Scholarship Council, and All-Night Grad. For routine use, these groups are not charged facility fees and are responsible for labor costs only when the event falls outside the normal work schedule or requires additional staff beyond those already on duty.
When a Group II organization hosts a fundraising event or tournament, facility fees and labor costs are waived.
All-Night Grad fees and labor costs are waived for the annual event.
Group III – VC Community Non-Profit Organizations
Local youth leagues, civic associations, scouting organizations, CYO/AAU programs, and other non-profit community groups whose rosters consist of at least 75% District families For routine use, these groups are not charged facility fees and are responsible for labor costs only when the event falls outside the normal work schedule or requires additional staff beyond those already on duty.
When the use involves a fundraising event or tournament, facility fees apply as set forth in the fee schedule, plus labor costs.
Organizations must submit a current roster for verification of the 75% threshold at the time of application.
Organizations must submit proof of non-profit status (e.g., IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter) at the time of application.
Group IV – Non-VC Community Non-Profit Organizations
Non-profit youth leagues, sports teams, and similar organizations whose rosters consist of less than 75% District families. These groups are welcome to use District facilities and are charged facility rental fees and labor costs in accordance with the District’s Facilities Use Fee Schedule.
Organizations must submit proof of non-profit status (e.g., IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter) at the time of application.
Group V – Governmental & Public Safety Entities
Municipal, village, town, county, state, and public safety agencies serving the Valley Central School District community are included in this category. Covered entities include, but are not limited to, the Town of Montgomery, Village of Maybrook, Village of Montgomery, Village of Walden, Orange County government departments and agencies, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Town of Montgomery Police Department, Village of Maybrook Police and Fire Departments, Village of Montgomery Police and Fire Departments, Village of Walden Police and Fire Departments, East Coldenham Fire Department, Town of Newburgh Police Department, and the Town of Montgomery Ambulance Corps.
When District facilities are used by these governmental or public safety entities for official governmental functions, public service activities, community meetings that serve the public good, emergency preparedness activities, first responder meetings, trainings, drills, exercises, or other official public safety purposes, no fees shall be charged. Such events must be held during normal District staffing hours.
Use of District facilities as an official polling place shall not be subject to a facility rental fee.
Summary
| Group | Category | Examples | Fee Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group I | School District Use | District programs, extra classroom activities, school sponsored events | No Charge |
| Group II | School-Related Organizations | PTA/PTO, Booster Clubs, VCEF, Scholarship Council, All-Night Grad | No fee for general use during normal hours. No fee for fundraising events and All-Night Grad event. |
| Group III | VC Community Non-Profit Organizations | Local youth leagues, Boy/Girl Scouts, civic organizations, CYO/AAU programs with at least 75% VCSD families |
No fee for general use during normal hours. Fundraising/tournament use: facility fee + labor costs |
| Group IV | Non VC Community Non-Profit Organizations | Youth leagues and sports teams with less than 75% VCSD families | Facility fees and labor costs in accordance with the District Fee Schedule |
| Group V | Governmental & Public Safety Entities | Town of Montgomery, Village of Maybrook, Village of Montgomery, Village of Walden, East Coldenham Fire, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, NYS Police, Town of Newburgh Police, Town of Montgomery Ambulance Corps | No fees charged. Events must be held during normal staffing hours. |
Use of School Facilities by School Personnel
Any use of school facilities for school-related activities will be scheduled through the Building Principal. Any other use outside the regular school week, including extended hours, will be scheduled first through the approval of the Building Principal followed by the approval of the Superintendent of Schools or designee. If the request involves the use of any of our athletic facilities, the Athletic Director must approve the request prior to it being sent to the Superintendent or designee.
Recognized collective bargaining units may use school facilities to conduct meetings as specified in the collective bargaining agreement(s).
No students are allowed in a school building unless appropriate school personnel is on duty. Scheduling in advance will ensure that the space requested is available and not given to outside groups.
Fees
Fees are assessed based on the applicant’s user group classification as defined above. Fees are set by the Board of Education annually at the re-organization meeting and are available on the District’s website.
Exceptions
A School Board-approved Memorandum of Agreement between the District and a community organization shall supersede the above fee schedule.
In the event of a contingent budget where the community has not approved a separate Use of Facilities proposition, organizations are responsible for all identifiable costs. The building administrator will provide these costs at the time that the building use application is submitted. PTO/PTA/PTSA/PTA Council sponsored events are not subject to this charge.
Organizations providing before and after school child care programs are not charged a facility fee or labor costs.
Political Meetings
School facilities may not be used for political activity. Meetings for the purpose of designating or selecting candidates for public office in the form of caucuses or debates are not permitted.
Billing to Outside Group
Quotes will be provided when submitting a facility use request. A deposit equal to fifty percent (50%) of the anticipated facility and labor costs is due no later than thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled use.
Final statements covering complete charges will be rendered by the Building Principal’s office following the event. Payment will be made promptly, not later than thirty days of statement date.
Notwithstanding these specific policies and rules, the Superintendent or designee reserves the right to deny approval of any application or request made for the use of District facilities, including the right to modify or alter any schedule of charges.
Adoption date: August 28, 1995
Revised: February 8, 1999
Revised: November 12, 2002
Revised: December 12, 2011
Revised: June 9, 2014
Revised: April 3, 2017
Revised October 19, 2026