Building Use - Lake Washington School District

Community use of school facilities

School buildings are built with taxpayer dollars. Lake Washington School District believes those buildings belong to the community and should be available for community use when it does not conflict with the district’s mission of educating children. In fact, the district’s administrative policies outline the basic philosophy and understandings around community use of school facilities. Fees are charged for the use of facilities so that district funds intended for the education of children are not used to support other activities.

Building use applies to one-time facility use or regular use for up to one year. Building users can re-apply each year to continue their use for the subsequent year. Long-term leases must be made by special arrangement with the district business office. In order to ensure that school buildings are always available for school programs, long-term leases are unusual.

Buildings may be used by non-profit organizations. For-profit or commercial groups are not permitted without the prior approval of the Board of Directors. Building users are divided into six classifications, and fees for the classifications differ.

User group classifications

Group I: District or school-oriented groups

Group II: City-sponsored youth activities via cities / school district interlocal agreements

Group III: Non-profit youth organizations with members residing within the Lake Washington School District

Group IV: Non-profit adult organizations with members residing within the Lake Washington School District; other city and state agencies

Fourth Priority: Adult non-profit organizations that have as their prime focus the interests and needs of the local community and whose membership roster demonstrates at least 65 percent of its members reside within the boundaries of Lake Washington School District. This category also includes state and local agencies with which the district does not have a joint-use interlocal agreement. Examples, if they meet the 65 percent requirement, include:

Community clubs
League of Women Voters
Service clubs
Senior citizen groups
Churches

Group V: Other non-profit organizations

Group VI: Other adult organizations

Apply to the specific school or other district location

Determine first what school or district building your group would like to use. The district map is a good starting point to determine where all district buildings are located. If your group is large, you may want to concentrate on middle schools or high schools or the district resource center. Smaller groups will have more flexibility in which buildings to use.

Library, gymnasium, cafeteria/commons	Contact the school
Theater	Contact the school
High school stadium	Contact the school
Athletic fields	Contact: City of Kirkland, City of Redmond, City of Sammamish or unincorporated King County
Resource Center conference rooms	Contact the Resource Center

For more information on building use please visit Frequently Asked Questions.

Guidelines and Procedures for Use of School District Facilities

Playground and field use

All LWSD playgrounds, tracks and tennis courts are closed to the public during the school day from 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and open for weekend and evening use. School campuses are closed during the school day. As a reminder, large, organized activities are not allowed. The public is also not allowed to be on a field when an outside organization is renting the field.