Building and Facilities Use

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Overview of Building Use

It is the goal of the Northampton School Committee is to ensure that all school facilities are adequately maintained and ready to serve the educational needs of the students attending the Northampton Public Schools.

The use of school facilities by the general public cannot be allowed to detract from that educational mission or to place unnecessary burdens on this, the primary function of the Northampton Public Schools. At the same time, the School Committee is, in essence, the trustee of tangible resources placed in its care by the citizens of Northampton, which should be made available to the community at large to the greatest extent possible.

School facilities will only be available for use by the general public when they are not otherwise required in connection with the educational mission of the Northampton Public Schools or in connection with activities sponsored by the Northampton School Department. Furthermore, the use of school facilities may be restricted so as to allow adequate time for the maintenance and repair of said facilities by school personnel and/or contracting agents of the Northampton Public Schools.

All persons or organizations interested in using school facilities must complete a Building Use Application.

NOTE: Events with over 100 people require special crowd manager training. Please click here to see the crowd manager FAQ.

 User Categories

  1.  Municipal agencies
  2. Programs operated by non-profit organizations for the benefit of Northampton Public Schools or its students
  3. Other non-profit tax-exempt organizations located in Northampton, for non-commercial purposes, whose membership is composed primarily of Northampton residents
  4. Other non-profit tax-exempt organizations, for non-commercial purposes
  5. Other uses
Verification that an applicant organization is a bonafide non-profit organization with tax-exempt 501 C (3) status may be required at the time of application.

Schedule of Building Use Fees: Please contact us for an updated Fee Schedule. Additional Service Fees may be charged for custodial service, computer lab usage, materials and utilities, high school auditorium stage fees, including use of the Theater Manager, sound system equipment, lighting and technical support.Insurance/Indemnification: All category “B”, “C” and “D” users will be required to furnish proof that they have a suitable liability insurance policy covering any and all claims, which may arise from the use of school facilities. Such insurance shall provide for minimum claim coverage of ONE MILLION DOLLARS ($1,000,000.00) per event.  The insurance requirement will be waived for category “A” users, provided that they furnish the Northampton School Department with a binding “Hold Harmless” liability agreement if the user is not a municipal agency.

Tobacco and alcohol are not permitted on the grounds or in the facilities of the Northampton Public School Department.

Requests for use of the JFK Middle School Pool are managed through the City of Northampton Recreation Department.

To find out when a Food Permit is required from the Board of Health, please read this memo.
For further information, please contact Terri Dixon at (413) 587-1323, FAX (413) 587-1318, tdixon@northampton-k12.us