Effective: March 23, 2015
Latest Legislation: House Bill 290 - 130th General Assembly
(A) For purposes of this section:
(1) "General public" means members of the community, including both of the following:
(a) Students during nonschool hours;
(b) Employees of a school or school district when not working in the scope of their employment.
(2) "Nonschool hours" means both of the following:
(a) Any time prior to and after regular classroom instruction on a day that school is in session;
(b) Any day that school is not in session, including weekends, holidays, and vacation breaks.
(3) "Recreational meetings and entertainments" means all indoor or outdoor games or physical activities, either organized or unorganized, that are undertaken for exercise, relaxation, diversion, sport, or pleasure.
(4) "School premises" means all indoor and outdoor structures, facilities, and land owned, rented, or leased by a school or school district.
(B) The board of education of any city, exempted village, or local school district shall, upon request and the payment of a reasonable fee, subject to such regulation as is adopted by such board, permit the use of school premises, when not in actual use for school purposes, for any of the following purposes:
(1) Giving instructions in any branch of education, learning, or the arts;
(2) Holding educational, religious, civic, social, or recreational meetings and entertainments, and for such other purposes as promote the welfare of the community; provided such meetings and entertainments shall be nonexclusive and open to the general public;
(3) Public library purposes, as a station for a public library, or as reading rooms;
(4) Polling places, for holding elections and for the registration of voters, or for holding grange or similar meetings.
The board of education of each school district shall adopt a policy for the use of school premises by the general public, including a list of all fees to be paid for the use of such premises and the costs used to determine such fees. Once adopted, the policy shall remain in effect until formally amended by the board. A copy of the policy shall be made available to any resident of the district upon request.