Community Use of Schools

Through our Community Use of Schools program, almost all of our school spaces are available outside of school hours for not-for-profit community groups. Our gyms, fields, auditoriums and classrooms are available for your sporting events, concerts, recitals and more.

A list of all SCDSB elementary and secondary schools, including addresses, are available on our School Search.

COVID-19 update

The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) will be re-opening the application system on July 4, 2022 for community groups to submit indoor permit requests for the 2022-2023 school year. The deadline to submit applications is August 2, 2022.

Permits for indoor school facilities are contingent on staffing for the 2022-2023 school year. All applications submitted by August 2, 2022, will be assessed. Permits for facility use are not issued on a first come first serve basis. Determining factors include general priority of group categories, groups in good standing, group size, number of teams, number of spaces requested, availability and suitability of the facility requested. If multiple applications are submitted in the same priority level, space will be allotted by area of the county, using a randomized list.

Please be advised that community use permit fees have been reviewed and will be updated for the 2022-2023 school year, effective September 1, 2022. The previous review of facility rates was conducted in 2008. Over the past 14 years, there have been significant increases in operating and maintenance costs. Updating fees is necessary in order to ensure the board is covering its costs. Please see the new rate schedule outlined on pages 12-14 in APM A1220 – Community Use of Facilities before submitting an application.

The SCDSB is committed to ensuring the affordability of community use of schools and will continue to offer fee reductions from the Community Use of School Program (CUS-Program) provided by the Ministry of Education which is reviewed annually. The allocation of funds by the CUS-Program, such as the percentage of administrative, custodial and equipment costs, will be revised in order to ensure fair distribution of the CUS-Program.

Please be advised that permits are subject to current COVID-19 government guidelines and protocols; therefore, permits may need to be adjusted or cancelled accordingly. We continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates should the situation change.

We anticipate receiving multiple requests for facility use and appreciate your patience as we welcome back community groups to SCDSB facilities. Please note that alternate locations or time slots may be offered as we endeavor to accommodate as many requests as possible, in a fair and equitable manner.

Submit your permit application online

Please apply online for a permit. If you have any questions, please contact the permit office (contact information is listed below).

What happens next?

A Permit Clerk will process the application and advise the applicant if the facility is available at the requested time. Once an application is approved, a rental contract will be issued and the applicant will be invoiced. A schedule of fees can be found on pages 12-14 of APM A1220.

Please note:

Please make an appointment before attending the Permit Office by using the contact information below.
Applicants must be 18 years of age or older, and an individual of 18 years of age or older must be in attendance for the duration of the rental contract.
No rental contracts will be available during Professional Activity (PA) Days, Christmas Break, March Break, Easter Monday and statutory holidays, except for rental contracts to carry out religious services.
Rental contracts will not be granted for the use of school facilities during the two weeks prior to the end of the school year, regularly scheduled maintenance projects, two weeks prior to the school year commencing and during the first week of school.
All rental contract holders must have liability insurance of at least $2 million and name the Simcoe County District School Board as Additional Insured.

Complete List of Permit Rules

Insurance

If you wish to purchase insurance, please follow these steps:

Wait to receive an eBASE notification by email indicating that your permit has been placed 'on hold' pending the provision of an insurance certificate.
Purchase insurance directly from AON Reed Stenhouse. They are available to answer any questions you might have.
Upload your Certificate of Insurance into eBASE and enter your insurance details.

Contact Information

Barrie, Clearview, Collingwood area schools

705-734-6363, ext. 11372

Adjala-Tosorontio, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Essa, Innisfil, Midland, New Tecumseth, Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Penetanguishene, Ramara, Severn, Springwater, Tay, Tiny and Wasaga Beach area schools

705-734-6363 ext. 11372

Manager of Planning, Enrolment and Community Use

705-734-6363, ext. 11513

Community and Facility Use Coordinator (Outreach Coordinator)

Partnership opportunity inquiries
705-734-6363, ext. 11361

If you are unsure where a school is located, please visit our School Search.

APM A1220 - Community Use Procedures

Policy 2340 - Community Use of Facilities

Frequently Asked Questions - Permits and Facility Use

Permits are required for community use of school facilities on weeknights and any time on Saturdays or Sundays. No overnight events are permitted. Other restrictions may apply.

On weekdays, indoor school facilities are generally available after 6 p.m. at elementary schools and after 7 p.m. at secondary schools. End times vary per school. School facilities may be available throughout the day on Saturdays and/or Sundays.

Indoor school facilities can generally be booked from September to June. September start dates and June end dates vary per year. Other restrictions may apply. For example, professional activity days, March Break, Winter Break, and Easter Monday are not available for community use. Please see the permit rules for full details.

Applications for indoor permits starting in September/October should be submitted between May 16 and June 30.

Applications for indoor summer permits should be submitted between April 1 and May 15. Summer hours differ from the hours available during the school year. School availability is limited and subject to change.

Applications for outdoor field permits should be submitted between Feb. 1 and March 1. All field requests will be assessed in the spring.

Fields are generally booked between the months of May and October. Field availability is subject to change each year due to field conditions and maintenance.

Once an application is submitted, alterations can only be requested through the Permit Office by sending a message through the ‘discussion tab’ on the application itself or by contacting your Permit Clerk. Once a permit is approved, alteration fees, along with any other applicable permit fees may be levied.

A minimum of two weeks notice is required to obtain an approved permit. Permit processing times may increase due to the volume of applications submitted at various times throughout the year.

No, permits are not automatically cancelled when buses are cancelled. Permits will only be cancelled if the schools are closed or the afternoon custodial shift is cancelled. The Permit Office will contact any clients affected in these circumstances and will post cancellation notices on the board’s website. Please note that decisions to cancel afternoon custodial shifts are not made until after 12 noon.

Each summer the available school facilities change due to construction and maintenance requirements. Schools supplied by well water are not open for indoor summer permitting every year. Please note depending on the timing of your application school facilities may already be booked by other community users. School availability is subject to change due to maintenance projects.

Facilities within a school are available Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., from the first week of July up until the last two weeks prior to the school year commencing.

School fields are open May 1st to October 31st. Actual start date is dependent on field conditions. Start time is 6:30 p.m. Please note that wet field conditions may make fields unplayable during the season.

If custodial coverage can be arranged, permits may be accommodated.

Air conditioning is available at some locations only. The cost depends on the specific rooms being used and length of the permit request. Your permit clerk will be able to provide you with the cost.

Due to summer maintenance projects, approvals and confirmations for summer requests cannot be given before June 1st. Summer availability is also subject to change after June 1st.

Alterations may be accepted until June 15. After June 15, alterations will not be possible.

For films, please send a copy of the script and a summary of information about the film to the Community and Facility Use Coordinator for approval.

For music videos, please send a copy of the lyrics and a summary of information about the video to the Community and Facility Use Coordinator for approval.

Once you receive an approval back you can continue with the permit application process.