Young Nova Scotians to Get Affordable Use of Schools

Young Nova Scotians will have more affordable access to school gyms and playing fields with an amendment to the Education Act introduced in the legislature today, April 15.

The amendment supports a new provincial policy on community use of schools. It will allow young people up to the age of 21 to use publicly owned school facilities for physical and recreation activities without rental fees.

They will only pay for direct additional costs including extra custodial services if they don't clean up, replacement of any supplies or equipment that are used or damaged, or staff needed to supervise activities or open and close the school.

"We worked with school boards and recreation partners on this policy to ensure fair and reasonably consistent access to our schools for community groups and particularly for youth across the province," said Health Minister Angus MacIsaac, on behalf of Education Minister Jamie Muir. "Making our facilities more available is one step we're taking to help encourage more physical activity among Nova Scotia's young people."

The new policy is a Learning for Life commitment. It is intended to make facilities available primarily for young people to have more opportunities for physical activity.

The policy also makes good use of schools as community resources. Community not-for-profit groups will have access to school facilities at a nominal rental fee to cover school board costs such as heat, electricity and supervision.

School boards may charge commercial or for-profit organizations a higher fee. Rental fees for these organizations should be in line with rates charged for similar facilities in the area.

Many municipalities have agreements with school boards for joint use of school and municipal facilities. These agreements will continue. New joint-use agreements that do not increase costs to school boards are encouraged and will be approved by the minister.

All groups using school facilities must have their own liability insurance. Staff and volunteers who work with children and youth in school facilities must have criminal and child abuse registry checks.

The Department of Education worked on the provincial policy with school boards, the Office of Health Promotion and the school boards' insurance provider.

School boards received the draft policy in November 2003 and were asked to begin adapting their own policies to match it. Boards will track community use of their schools and report annually to the department.

The amendment will not apply to P3 schools. An arbitrator's decision in January 2003 determined that private developers of P3 schools have the sole right to manage community access to their buildings.