Overview

Community organizations can ask the local school board to use indoor and/or outdoor school space outside of school hours.

Some school boards post the full list of facilities that are available, including information about the policies and fees.

Contact your local school board to find out more about Community Use of Schools fees and application process in your area.

Affordable rates for not-for-profit organizations

District School Boards, where feasible, should ensure that after school user fees for school facilities in their district are affordable for not-for-profit users. Not-for-profit can include:

  • youth groups for people younger than 18 or under the age of 28 if participants have a disability (for example, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, 4H Clubs and Cadets)
  • recognized children’s sport and recreation service providers that are:
    • sponsored or recognized by a municipality as providing services or programs for the benefit of the community
    • members of a provincial sports organization or an accredited camping organization
    • universally recognized as service providers, such as the YMCA or Red Cross
  • childcare, including before and after-school programs delivered by eligible operators
  • other groups, including charitable groups, that the school board accepts (for example, local service clubs, community health associations, parent groups or seniors groups)

Fees

The cost of renting space depends on the area where you are located, and the space you would like to use.

Contact the permit office at your local school board to find out what the fees are in your area.

We give school boards funding so they can make school space affordable for use outside school hours.

Insurance

Your school board might help you with insurance requirements, by assisting community groups to access the third-party insurance needed.

Ask your school board about the insurance coverage you need for use of school space.

Participating school boards

Each school board offers information about its specific Community Use of Schools programs. Follow the links below to learn more.

Guiding principles

School activities take priority

School activities, extra-curricular activities and parent involvement activities organized or administered by the school or school board have priority use of school space during and after regular school hours.

Schools as hubs of communities

Schools are the hubs of their communities and offer an effective use of space by providing citizens with a place to come together, volunteer, build skills, access community programs, become physically active and build strong and healthy communities.

Support for a positive climate for youth

The Community Use of Schools Program supports and promotes healthy, active lifestyles for community youth.

Fair equitable access

Schools are welcoming and inclusive environments and offer parent groups and community organizations fair and equitable access to use school space at affordable rates for community purposes, outside of regular school hours.

Respect for roles and responsibilities

Community Use of Schools Program partners and stakeholders respect each other’s roles, responsibilities and obligations to the community and education system.

School board practices to make the program effective

School Boards have practices to help ensure the Community Use of Schools program is effective at the local level.

Your school board might:

  • Track and monitor use of space by:
    • visiting the school to observe programming
    • checking-in with your group
    • following up on incidents of concern
    • following up on no-shows
  • Compensate schools for wear and tear by asking schools to identify equipment that is available and assigning fees to each piece of equipment. Boards can give schools a set amount of funding annually. For example, some boards allocate funds for equipment wear and tear based on the number of user groups.
  • Share information with other boards about the Community Use of Schools program. This allows school boards to learn from each other about how they make after-hours use of schools easy and affordable.
  • Develop reciprocal agreements, by creating joint agreements with municipalities and other boards in their area to seamlessly offer facilities to residents.
  • Limit restrictions on use by asking schools to minimize restrictions on usage of their space as much as possible, with the understanding that some restrictions are necessary, such as conflicts with school activities, closures, maintenance and renovations.

Learn more

Contact your local Ministry of Education Regional Office.