Frequently Asked Questions
Who do I call if I have questions regarding use of a school?
*The school of use should always be your first point of contact. However, you can also contact the Coordinator for Community Use of Schools in the Facilities Services Department at (804) 717-6368 or (804) 748-1331.
What criteria do I have to meet in order to use a school?
*Per School Board Policy & Regulations (School Policy & Regulations File 6170 & 6170-R), the applicant must be a citizen of the county who is a member of the organization making application, or an Officer of an applicant organization which must be headquartered in Chesterfield County. In addition, authorization will only be given for use by not-for-profit groups or organizations unless as listed in the Children’s Performances Conducted by For-Profit Organizations section of the School Board Regulations (Section V).
How do I know if our organization is eligible to use a school?
*As listed in the School Board Policy & Regulations (School Policy & Regulations File 6170 & 6170-R), the following organizations are authorized to use the schools: school use groups, affiliated non-profit organizations (i.e., PTA, Athletic Boosters, Band Boosters, etc.), Government Agencies (i.e., public meetings, Parks & Recreation sponsored activities, etc.), other non-profit organizations (i.e., Scouts, Junior Women’s Club, Homeowners Associations, faith-based groups, etc.), and Children’s Performances Held by For-Profit Organizations (i.e. dance companies, martial arts studios, music studios, etc., as stated indicated in Section V of 6170-R). If you have a question as to whether your organization falls under one of these categories, please call the Coordinator-Community Use of Schools at (804) 717-6368 or (804) 748-1331.
Can I request use of a school for a personal activity such as a child’s birthday party, baby shower, etc.?
*NO. Per School Board Policy & Regulations, authorization will only be given for use by not-for-profit groups or organizations and those organizations which fall under the Children’s Performances Conducted by For-Profit Organizations.
How far in advance does our organization’s application need to be submitted to the school of use?
* Per School Board Policy & Regulations (School Policy & Regulations File 6170 & 6170-R), applications for small activities (less than 100 people expected to be in attendance) must be submitted to the facility of use at least two (2) weeks prior to the date(s) requested. Applications for large activities (more than 100 people expected to be in attendance) must be submitted to the facility of use at least four (4) weeks prior to the date(s) requested.
Does any additional paperwork need to be submitted with our rental application?
*YES. If your organization is non-profit and has not used a school facility before, the Facilities Services Department requests that a copy of your organizations 501c3 be submitted with your rental application. In addition, organizations to whom the facility is rented should also have adequate third-party liability insurance coverage as indicated by attaching a current copy of the organization’s Liability Insurance Certificate to the rental application.
Do we need General Liability Insurance?
*All organizations are required to provide proof of Third Party Liability Insurance (with a coverage amount of no less than $1,000,000) by submitting a Certificate of Insurance listing Chesterfield County Public Schools as an additional insured.
Are there a minimum number of hours required for our organization’s request for use of a facility?
*NO.
What hours should my application reflect?
*The hours listed on the rental application for your organization’s event should include the set up time, the time in which your event will take place, and the break down/clean up time.
How late may our group or organization’s activity last?
*Hours of use for a rental of a school are from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. If additional time is needed, please contact the Coordinator for Community Use of Schools at (804) 717-6368 or (804) 748-1331 to make the request and for review/approval.
How do we know that our group or organization has been approved to use a school?
*An application is NOT approved until you receive a copy of the approved request from the Facilities Services Department with all of the appropriate signatures or an email confirmation from the SchoolDude Message Center stating that your schedule has been approved/activated.
What if the date of my event arrives and I have not received an approved copy of my rental application or an email confirmation?
*Meeting prior to the receipt of your approved application is considered trespassing and could jeopardize your use of any facility within Chesterfield County Public Schools. If you have not received an approved application within one (1) week prior to the date of your event, please contact the school of use to determine the status of the application.
Will air conditioning or heating be turned on?
*YES. Upon receipt of your organization’s rental application, the air conditioning or heating is automatically scheduled to be turned on for the time of your event unless otherwise indicated on the approved rental application by your organization.
Who do I call if I have a question about our group or organization’s event and it is after the school’s regular working hours?
*The Facilities Services Department at (804) 748-1331 until 10:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on days that school is NOT in session (weekends, summer break, etc.).
If I need to change the time of our activity or change an area of use within the building, who do I need to call?
*The school of use should always be your first point of contact for any changes. A change form must then be submitted to the school, who will forward it to the Facilities Services Department to make the necessary changes for support services (HVAC, custodial, etc.).
What do I do if I need to cancel our group or organization’s event?
*A change form should be submitted to the school of use 48 hours prior to the date of your planned event. It will be forwarded to the Facilities Services Department for cancellation of support services. Failure to give proper notification of a cancellation for an event to be held when school is not in session will result in a one (1) hour facility rental fee and a two (2) hour School Board staffing fee.
Will school personnel be on duty during our event?
*Per Chesterfield County Public Schools policy (School Policy & Regulations File 6170 & 6170-R), the School Board requires that an employee of the School Board be present at all times when an indoor School Board facility is being used.
What duties do the school personnel perform for our group or organization’s event?
*Per Chesterfield County Public Schools policy (School Policy & Regulations File 6170 & 6170-R), services are limited to: opening and closing the building, doors and windows; turning on and off lights; contacting the Facilities Services Department to adjust heating or air conditioning; emergency clean up during the event; normal cleaning after the event; maintenance of restrooms during and after the event; and ensuring that the school is in proper condition to open the next school day.
Will the school personnel set up chairs, tables, etc. for our group or organization’s event?
*NO. The school personnel assigned to your organization’s event is not required to transport equipment and/or supplies; arrange any special furniture or equipment for the activity; or supervise the activity or crowd. Any school used by an organization should be left in the condition in which it was found. It is the responsibility of the organization to set up tables, chairs, etc. at the beginning of an activity and to place them back in their proper area at the end of the activity.
Can we use a school’s special equipment (sound system, projector, screen, etc.)?
*Each school is responsible for their own special equipment. If special equipment is needed by your organization for an activity, please contact the school of use to request permission for use and to make the necessary arrangements. This equipment must be operated by trained school personnel. Additional fees may apply for this and should be paid directly to the school of use unless otherwise indicated.
Can we store equipment or items at the school we are using?
*NO. School buildings have limited storage space available to the teachers and staff already located within that facility. All items brought into the building by an applicant for an activity is to be removed at the end of that activity. The School Board will assume no responsibility for items or equipment brought on the premises by the using organization, its members or guests, or for lost, stolen or damaged items left within a school building.
Can we place signs on the school grounds to advertise our group or organization’s event?
*One exterior informational sign may be permitted on the school or school grounds to be displayed ONLY during the time of the actual event and must be removed after the completion of the event. No banners or other signage should be placed on the grounds of the school prior to the day and time of the event to be held.
Will I be charged for my group or organization’s event?
*Per School Board Policy & Regulations (School Policy & Regulations File 6170 & 6170-R), rental charges will NOT apply to the use of school facilities by organizations for small activities held between 7:30 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. on those days when students are in session. Facility and custodial fees will be charged for events that take place on days that students are NOT in session (such as weekends, spring break, summer break, etc.). Custodial charges may apply for large activities taking place during the week where additional custodial staff is needed in order to ensure that the facility is in the proper condition for school to open the next day. All custodial charges are based on the estimated number of persons to attend an activity and the time period required for such activity. Additional fees may also apply if an extra trash pick-up is required due to the size of the activity being held. If use of the kitchen is requested, your organization must contact Food Services at (804) 743-3717 x126 as these charges are established and paid directly to the Food Services Department.
How can I determine what our group or organization’s rate will be for an activity?
*You can view a copy of Chesterfield County Public School’s rate chart on the website at Chesterfield.K12.va.us. The student rate is specifically for activities in which ONLY students are participants. The adult rate is for activities in which there are adult as well as student participants. If you have a questions regarding what rate your organization will be charged, please contact the Coordinator-Community Use of Schools at (804) 717-6368 or (804) 748-1331.
For what hours will I be billed?
*If a prepayment is required for your event, the hours in which your organization is invoiced will only reflect the number of hours requested on the group or organization’s rental application and is an estimate only. Your group or organization will be billed for the actual hours of school use as listed on the School Board employee’s time card and for the School Board employee’s time as reflected on the actual time card submitted by them for payment.
Why did our revised invoice increase/decrease after the event was held?
*The amount listed on your rental application is an estimate only and the prepayment amount is based on this information. The actual hours may vary for the following reasons: if your organization’s event has gone past the approved rental contract time, thus requiring the School Board employee to remain beyond their approved contract time; if your organization’s event time was shorted due to inclement weather, participation, etc., thus causing the School Board employee’s time to be shortened; or the areas of use within the school were changed after the initial prepayment invoice was issued.
I have received our group or organization’s invoice and I have a question about the hours in which we were billed. Who do I call?
*For any questions regarding an invoice, please call the Coordinator-Community Use of Schools at (804) 717-6368 or (804) 748-1331.
When is payment due?
*If a prepayment is required, payment is due by the date indicated on the invoice issued. All other invoices are issued on the 10th of each month following the date in which your event was held and payment is required within 30 days of the date on the invoice.
Who do we make the check payable to and where do we send it?
*Payment can be made to Chesterfield County Public Schools and sent to the address indicated on the invoice issued. Please do not send a payment without first receiving an official invoice from the Facility Services Department.
