The Dunkerton Community School District facilities and buildings are owned, maintained and supported by the public. The Board of Education actively seeks to respond to the educational, recreational and cultural needs of its total community through the total resources of the community schools. However, all school facilities have been primarily erected and maintained for the use of the students of Dunkerton Schools and shall not be used for another purpose that will conflict with that use.
This document outlines policies and guidelines for community use of school facilities in the Dunkerton Community School District (hereafter referred to as the District). The guidelines have been reviewed by the Board of Education (hereafter referred to as the Board) and Superintendent of Schools (hereafter referred to as the Superintendent) and approved by the Board.
Any activity connected with the approved school programs will take precedence over any request for use of the facilities for any other purpose.
It is understood that the District will make its facilities available for use by certain local, state, civic or service organizations when the use does not conflict with the school program. Such use shall be for community purposes or the promotion of community activities and shall be of educational, recreational or cultural value to the community.
Dunkerton Community School District.facilities are not intended to be a location for profit making enterprises.
Approval of a request does not imply the endorsement or sponsorship by the Administration, the Board or Dunkerton Community School District.
Organizations interested in using school facilities should make such requests through The Activities Office. The Activities Office, with the help of the Administration, will determine the availability and appropriate usage of the facilities. Completion of a Facility Request Form is required.
It is the responsibility of those requesting usage of school facilities to know the contents of these Facility Use Guidelines and be aware of all guidelines for usage as well as specific guidelines set forth by the Board and Administration.
The District reserves the right to cancel or postpone any activity due to conflict, disregard of policies or other uncontrollable circumstances. If approval has been given to a group to use facilities and it is later determined that the facilities are not available, notice of cancellation shall be given to the applicant as soon as possible with reasons for the cancellation. District administrators, the designated building supervisor or the custodian on duty have the right to terminate any activity at any time if, in his/her judgment, there are violations of Board policies and rules, or federal, state or municipal laws, or if the activity is deemed to be hazardous to people, buildings, or equipment.
All District facilities will be closed and not available for use on legal holidays and to allow for cleaning/restoration in the summer.
The District requires at least two weeks prior notice on extra-ordinary facilities use requests and reserves the right to cancel or postpone any activity, including school and school related activities, due to conflict, disregard of policies, or other uncontrollable circumstances.
Regular Requests for facility usage will not be processed if not received at least 48 hours prior to the date requested. Weekend usage requests must be received no later than twelve o’clock noon on the preceding Thursday. Usage requests received more than 6 weeks in advance of usage will not be acted upon.
The requester is responsible for notifying the Activities Office when his/her group wants to change or cancel a confirmed request or the group is not using the facility at the scheduled time. Cancellation requests are due to the Activities Office no later than twenty-four hours prior to the scheduled time of use. Failure to make the proper notification will result in a forfeiture of all fees paid in advance, and may result in loss of use privileges.
Overnight stays are not permitted by the District.
If school is canceled for the day, all community use of the buildings is canceled.
If home evening activities are canceled, all community use of the buildings will be canceled.
Food and beverages are permitted in designated areas only.
Use of tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs is prohibited on any school property
Non-marking gym shoes are required for participants in all sports and games. Group members not wearing proper shoes may be charged for the professional cleaning or refinishing of the gym floor.
No slam-dunking or hanging on rims.
No bouncing balls in halls, off walls or on ceilings.
Indoor balls ONLY: indoor soccer balls, mush balls, tennis balls, waffle balls, basketballs, volleyballs.
No baseballs or softballs.
No roller Blades.
No batting practice.
No Pitching Machines.
No leaning into volleyball nets. This loosens standards and damages equipment. More importantly, loose standards could fall and cause personal injury.
No climbing or playing on bleachers.
No pulling of bleachers. Facility Supervisors will be responsible for pulling bleachers out for use if previously approved by the Activities Office.
No tape or markers on floor or walls.
No propping open doors or windows.
No pushing/pulling chairs, tables, or other equipment across the floors.
No spitting or foul language allowed.
Children are not allowed to roam or play in the halls while their parents are participating in activities in the gym.
Children are to be supervised by adults at all times during gym usage.
No motorized vehicles may be used on school property
The use of the football stadium, softball fields, baseball fields and running track will require the regular facility form to be completed.
The Dunkerton Community School District Superintendent shall have sole discretion to determine if any reserved outdoor facility is unusable. It shall be the responsibility of the Activities Director, or his designee, to notify the appropriate parties if weather has rendered the outdoor spaces unusable.
Classification of Potential Users
Groups using the facilities will be classified as A, B, C, or D, with Class A having the highest priority for use when scheduling facilities. District Administration will determine the classification of each group requesting use of a facility.
Regular classroom activities
School-sponsored activities for students (e.g., clubs, athletics)
School-sponsored activities for parents (e.g. plays, open houses)
CLASS A
SCHOOL DISTRICT AND DISTRICT-RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:
School-related groups and organizations (e.g. Booster Clubs, Foundation-Four year trip/After prom, PTO)
School and district-sponsored activities for District staff (e.g. Training Sessions, Wellness)
Dunkerton Summer Recreation
College entrance examinations ACT
Facility Use Fee:
- No fees for building usage
- Custodian fees weekend use
- No fees for administrative supervision
- No fees for necessary staffing to sell tickets, run clocks, etc.
CLASS B
PUBLIC AGENCIES AND DISTRICT CO-SPONSORED ACTIVITIES:
Youth organizations: meetings involving District residents belonging to nonprofit, chartered youth groups or organizations sponsoring youth activities during the regular program season or year. Such groups would include the following:
Dunkerton Basketball Camps
Boys and Girls Club
Softball/Baseball Little League
Adult groups whose members reside in the District for regularly scheduled meetings or recreation (e.g. basketball groups, volleyball groups, community singing groups)Dunkerton Dunkerton COOP
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS:
Cost to educational institutions depends upon the institution's charge to students per credit hour. A charge for specialty rooms may be assessed (e.g., computer lab, shop, science lab).
Community Colleges
Public universities (e.g., Iowa State University, University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa)
Central Rivers Area Education Agency
Private higher educational institutions
Facility Use Fee:
- Events / tournaments will be charged $30 / hour for post-custodial cleaning for the event.
- Building rental fee as outlined in the Hourly Fee Structure
CLASS C
Nonprofit/Private Interest Groups:
Activities not conducted for profit by business concerns located within the boundaries of and paying property taxes to the Dunkerton Community School District.
Groups who charge fees for their own purposes or for profit may be charged at Class D rates. For purposes of determining nonprofit organizations, a tax-exempt identification number and/or an annual organizational or event budget may be requested.
Local non-profit organizations conducting profit-making activities for charitable purposes
If the activity does not meet the criteria, it will be placed in Class D.
Facility Use Fee:
- Events / tournaments will be charged $30 / hour for post-custodial cleaning for the event.
- Building rental fee as outlined in the Hourly Fee Structure
- Users will be required to file a non-profit exempt documentation to the district.
CLASS D
Out-of-District Private Interest Groups and Organizations:
Out of District adult or youth groups with less than 75% Dunkerton Community School District residents as participants. (Rosters will be required and must be submitted prior to the first usage)
Businesses located outside the Dunkerton Community School District
Businesses, private interest groups, individuals conducting activities for which a fee or admission is charged or items are sold.
Businesses holding non-gate fee events for which the participant directly or indirectly is charged a fee (e.g. rehearsals, ceremonies, performances)
Waterloo Tumbling
Private lesson / training session where fee is charged (musial, athletic)
Facility Use Fee:
- Events / tournaments will be charged $30 / hour for post-custodial cleaning for the event.
- Building rental fee as outlined in the Hourly Fee Structure
- Users will be required to file a non-profit exempt documentation to the district.
Special Events
The District welcomes local, state and national groups hosting special events which enrich our community and provide a variety of lifelong learning opportunities for community members. In scheduling such events, we must ensure that the learning environment for students is preserved and the upkeep of the facilities is maintained. In that light, the following guidelines were developed.
A. Guidelines for giving access to local, state, and national groups hosting special events in District facilities:
1. People (adults and children) in our district are participating in the events, as well as being observers.
2. The group can provide references from previous hosts attesting to reasonable group behavior, lack of damage, and prompt payment of costs incurred.
3. Additional workload incurred for District staff (custodians, technicians, athletic personnel, etc.) is not so excessive that it conflicts with regular job responsibilities.
4. The facilities are able to sustain the additional usage
5. Summer usage does not prohibit cleaning and repair projects from being accomplished.
6. The nature of the event does not conflict with previously scheduled groups
Guidelines for Establishing Fees:
1. For-profit groups will pay Class D rates (out-of-district groups, or for-profit activities).
2. Groups are eligible for non-profit rate only if they provide proof of non-profit status and a tax exempt identification number. The Activities Office may request a copy of the group’s annual budget and/or the budget for the event.
3. All groups must cover all personnel costs involved before, during, and after the event. This may include costs for building supervisors, custodians, technicians and food service workers. Overtime hours incurred by the facility use personnel if the event requires an excessive amount of time to coordinate will be paid by the requesting group.
4. A damage deposit will be required.
If groups are considered non-profit they are still required to pay personnel costs and they may be asked to cover direct costs of usage (e.g. electricity, water, air conditioning, heat)
FEES
The Superintendent of Schools or a designated representative will prepare a schedule of fees for the rental of school facilities. This schedule shall be reviewed and approved at five year intervals and approved by the Board of Education.
All fees for facility rentals and usage must be paid in advance unless other arrangements have been made. Upon payment, the requester will be issued a receipt of payment which will serve as approval to use the facility. When necessary, additional fees may include such things as cleaning fees, failure to cancel charges, replacement or repair for damage or theft or other pertinent administrative costs.
In the case of damage caused by a group, a deposit will be required after the first incident of damage. Administration shall determine the amount of the deposit, or to revoke the renter’s privilege. Note: On occasion, a fee may be waived or reduced depending upon use and organization. This waiver will be made at the sole discretion of the Superintendent or Board.
Any person found willfully damaging or defacing property belonging to the school district shall be held responsible for the replacement or repair of such property and all costs shall be the obligation of the offender.
It is possible that criminal charges may be filed against the offender. If the individual offender is not known, the group/requester is liable for damage costs. If the group refuses to make payment, the group will not be allowed to use District facilities again. If damage or theft is not reported by the group, an administrative fee will be charged to the group for the labor involved in tracking the responsible group. This charge is in addition to the cost for replacement/repair and any labor costs incurred. A damage deposit may be required if the group has the potential to incur excessive wear and/or cause excessive damage to the facility.
Approved: January 1997
Reviewed: February 1999, July 2009, March 2012, March 2015, March 2018, September 2019, January 2022
