Rules and Regulations

About

For more details, please view FA-04 Use of School Facilities Policies that outlines the procedures and conditions.

Permit Holder's Responsibilities

1. The permit holder is responsible for the enforcement of all fire regulations;

a) No obstructions in corridors or in front of fire exits
b) Submit a floor plan for Fire Safety compliance if requested
c) Do not prop open fire and exit doors

2. The Permit Holder or Supervisor noted on the permit must be present at the CUS event and must stay until all participants have left the facility.

3. The Permit Holder or Event Supervisor is responsible for all participants’ and guests’ behaviour during their time on Grand Erie property.

4. Community Users may be held responsible for all costs incurred by the accidental triggering of an alarm or security system.

5. Permit Holders are responsible for the cost of damage to Grand Erie DSB facilities caused by the actions of permit holder, participants or guests.

6. Signs or decorations may not be attached to walls or elsewhere without prior arrangement with the School Administration.

7. Vehicle parking is permitted only in designated parking areas. Parking is not permitted on grass or asphalt play areas.

8. Where catering services are required, the permit holder must make private arrangements with the Food Services Company under contract with the school.

9. No food or flavoured drink is to be taken into the gyms or auditoriums or Library/Learning Commons. Permits requiring food or drink can apply for use of the cafeteria or classroom.

10. Grand Erie District School Board does not permit products that contain nuts in its facilities. Community User shall avoid bringing into a school facility any products posted in a school as an allergy hazard.

11. Clean, rubber soled, non-skid and non-marking shoes must be worn during all athletic functions held in school gymnasiums.

12. Field use is subject to the conditions of the field, nature of the frequency of the activities and may be impacted by the weather and soil conditions. Start dates for field use may be disrupted or prohibited until the field conditions are restored.

13. Floor hockey is not allowed in any of our Facilities.

14. Permit holders are not permitted to store furniture, equipment or materials in any facility without prior approval from School Administration indoor practice or whiffle balls must be used for indoor baseball practice.

Access

Grand Erie DSB schools will be given priority use of the school facilities. Our school facilities are available for community use from September through June, Monday to Friday from 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 7:00 am - 10:00 pm. Our schools are not open for community use during Christmas, March and Summer Breaks, Statutory Holidays or P.A. Days.

Permit holders must present a printed copy of the electronic confirmation of their permit in order to gain access to the premises.

Alcohol

In ALL cases where permits allow the serving of alcoholic beverages, the permit holder must provide a copy of the Special Occasion Permit/Liquor License to the rentals office. The permit holder must guarantee that:

a) the use of a designated driver program has been encouraged;

b) posters, warning of the dangers of driving after drinking, will be prominently displayed at the event;

c) posters indicating that there will be no smoking/vaping on Board property are displayed;

d) the permit holder make use of "qualified smart servers" as required by the Liquor Control Board

e) public liability insurance is in place prior to the event that includes alcohol liability such as P.A.L.; and

f) a minimum of two police officers are in attendance for the duration of the event. NOTE: The board reserves the right to waive this clause at its own discretion for certain events.

Concussion Management

Rental groups are expected to have a concussion protocol in place containing information on concussion prevention, identifying symptoms and signs of a concussion, initial response procedures for a suspected concussion, and management procedures for a diagnosed concussion, including a return to physical activity plan. For your reference the following links provide access to the Boards Concussion Administrative Procedures.

Student Concussion and Head Injury HS -10

Student Concussion Procedure HS - 010

SO28 Student Concussion Resource Package

Damage to School Property

The permit holder assumes full responsibility for all damages arising from the use of school facilities. If property is damaged, it must be immediately reported to a Grand Erie DSB staff representative who will inform the CUS clerk. The costs to repair or replace damaged property are the responsibility of the CUS Permit Holder.

Any equipment that may scratch, mark or break property is not allowed for CUS.

Doors

In order to ensure safety to all, entrance doors to Grand Erie DSB Buildings during Community Use events will be open for 15 minutes prior to and 15 minutes after the permitted start time of the event. Custodians will lock the doors 15 minutes after the start of a Community Use event. At all other times doors will be closed and the Community Use group is responsible for opening doors for their late participants. The propping open of doors is not allowed.

Emergency Procedures

Emergency contact numbers for Grand Erie DSB staff are located on the front page of your approved permit. Should there be an emergency that needs immediate attention call the appropriate emergency services by dialling 911. In case of fire, and if it is safe to do so, a Community User should pull the fire alarm and all Community Users should immediately leave the building.

Equipment Usage

With the exception of the tables and chairs, the use of school equipment for a user group is at the discretion of the School Principal who may impose a user fee or replacement charge for damaged equipment. Any arrangements must be made in advance of the permit start date. The set up of the equipment is the responsibility of the permit holder, under the supervision of a Board representative, unless other arrangements have been made ahead of time. Additional costs may apply.

Insurance

A Permit Holder must present an up to date liability insurance certificate naming the Board as an additional insured prior to the approval of their permit. The Grand Erie DSB’s school insurance does not cover individual people or groups who use Grand Erie DSB facilities for CUS. A minimum liability limit of $2,000,000 per occurrence is required. To purchase liability insurance through the Board, contact the CUS Clerk for rates and information. Purchased insurance is non-refundable.

Parking

Parking’s permitted in designated parking areas only, do not block fire ways, driveways or park (drive) on the grass.

Prohibited Activities

School facilities may not be used in any manner contrary to the Ministry of Education, or Grand Erie District School Board’s Rules & Regulations. Games of chance, illegal activities, activities involving the use and/or discharge of weapons, fireworks, dry ice, hay bales, fog/smoke machines or pyrotechnical devices are not permitted on Board property. Alcohol, smoking, and/or holding lighted tobacco and/or cannabis products, shisha or imitation smoking-related products and accessories, including e-cigarettes and vaporizers, are not permitted on Board property.

Smoking/Vaping on School Property

The Ontario Smoke Free Act for public places prohibits smoking/vaping on Board Property policy applies 24 hours a day. Permit holders and event supervisors must ensure that participants move 20 metres off Board property for smoking/vaping purposes, not just outside the building.

Special Non-School Days

Generally, CUS is unavailable for Statutory holidays, Professional Development Days, Christmas Break, March Break or Summer Break. CUS may be available in a limited capacity to ensure the continuity of some programming (e.g. childcare centres, before and after school programming and Joint Use of Facility programming). Permission for CUS during these times is strictly at the discretion of the Board.

Additionally, the following rules & regulations apply to the rental of outdoor spaces

Condition Inspection

Groups must inspect the condition of fields to ensure they’re in good condition, play isn’t permitted under the following conditions:

Evidence of surface water – ponding
Saturated field – water sponging around feet
Steady downpour which could cause damage to field or injury to participants

Damages/Clean-Up

Rental groups are responsible for the clean-up/removal of litter and recycled materials during & post event. Failure to restore grounds to their original condition may result in cancellation of future permits and additional fees.

Non-Rentable Outdoor Spaces

Playgrounds/cement pads/basketball courts are not ‘rentable’ areas, if the public use these areas they do so at their own risk. Parking lots are only rented if they are the PRIMARY area for the rental. Overnight parking is not permitted, and parking lots may NOT be rented for sporting activities or personal use such as residents parking.

Prohibited Outdoor Rental Activities

Prohibited activities include but are not limited to; hot air balloon/helicopter rides, snowmobiles/ATV’s, fireworks, skating rinks, archery, drones, carnival type equipment/rides, handing out/displaying/releasing balloons.

Washroom Access is Not Provided for Outdoor Rentals

Rentals groups are responsible for coordinating portable washrooms to meet their needs and must remove them within an agreed upon time.