Turf Field Rental Guidelines
ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELD REGULATIONS
Applications
- West Fargo Public Schools makes its artificial turf fields available for public use, with some exceptions to availability. Artificial turf fields are closed to all outside organizations from October 15 – April 15 and during non-instructional weekdays during the school year (vacations, professional development days, and holidays). These parameters do not apply to events scheduled by the district’s activities departments, or events that are directly affiliated with the district (PTO/PTA, Packer Backers, Mustang Boosters, WFEA, School Board, district-level hosted events, etc.)
- The hours of use on school days (excluding Wednesdays, when facilities are not available for rent) shall be restricted to the period from 7:00PM – 10:00PM. The hours of use on weekends shall be restricted to the period of 6:00AM – 11:00PM at all fields.
- To help maintain the quality of our artificial turf fields, field closures may be scheduled at certain sites throughout the year to allow for field maintenance and renovation. While such closures will attempt to be scheduled well in advance, the condition of the facility and the health and safety of our students, staff, and clients takes ultimate priority in the management of our fields.
- All clients must submit a rental application to the Facility Rental Program for the use of an artificial turf field at least fifteen business days in advance of the desired use date(s). Team/organization rosters must be submitted in conjunction with an application if an organization feels they may be eligible for the WFPS student discount.
- Equal rights and privileges shall be accorded to all clients seeking space; no one client will be allowed to monopolize the use of any facility.
- Applications can be submitted at any time throughout the year and will be reviewed as they are received by the Facility Rental Program. The utilization of two processing timeframes throughout the year allows the district to assign space based on the best utilization possible, rather than on a first-come, first-serve basis. All applications will be processed according to the following timeline:
- April 16 – July 31 events are processed the fourth week in February
- August 1 – October 14 events are processed the first week in June
- Applications may be referred to another school facility if the requested facility is unavailable or inappropriate for the purposes of the requesting client.
- Use of the facilities shall not be permitted to interfere with the operation of the schools or with school activities. School-sponsored activities always take precedence, even when scheduled after the signing of a facility rental contract.
Contracts
- Once the application has been approved by all appropriate parties within the district, a rental contract will be issued, and the event will be added to the appropriate district calendar(s).
- The rental contract must be electronically signed by the client at least ten business days in advance of the desired use date in order to avoid cancellation of reservations and/or the rental contract. Use of a West Fargo Public Schools space will not be permitted without a signed contract.
- In no instance may a signed rental contract be transferred from one client to another.
- Once a rental contract is drafted, the only allowable changes are cancellations of confirmed dates, as referenced below. Any other change (date/time/location/equipment) must be done through the submission of a new application and will result in the loss of currently reserved space.
- Cancellation of any event is permitted. In order to avoid a penalty, the cancellation notice must be received at least five business days in advance. Cancellations submitted after this time will result in loss of the deposit.
- Use of the facilities by clients is automatically cancelled when schools must be closed due to inclement weather or other conditions.
- The artificial turf fields are not to be used in rain, wet, frost, or frozen conditions. Cancellation of events in these conditions will be at the discretion of the Facility Rental Program and Buildings and Grounds Department, dependent on the following:
- If a footstep leaves an impression on the turf or if the grass is easily removed with a cleat
- Standing puddles of water are present, or the ground is water-logged
- Footing is inconsistent and slippery
- Lightning and/or thunder are present
- Severe weather warnings are in effect
- The field is frozen or frosted over
- General unsafe facility conditions due to inclement weather
- An event manager is required to be present at every reservation, whether for ongoing practices, or for a large event. The event manager is responsible for enforcing all district policies and expectations related to facility rentals, as well as being the point of contact for potential district questions and concerns. Event manager information will be collected, in addition to the client’s, on all facility rental applications and will be shared with district event staff as appropriate.
Field Usage
- Only officials, field supervisors, coaches, and players are permitted on the field and surrounding track. There are to be no bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, recreational vehicles, or animals within the complex.
- West Fargo Public Schools will provide a designated field supervisor to be on site during field use.
- The field supervisor will assure that a qualified individual will operate the use of equipment. The field supervisor, as a representative of the Facility Rental Program, will make all administrative-level decisions during the event in relation to weather and field quality. They will consult with the Facility Rental Program and/or Buildings & Grounds Department prior to discontinuance of field use to any client displaying inappropriate use.
- The client will be responsible for the cost of the field supervisor, as indicated in the associated fee structure and reflected in the facility rental contract.
- The client and all field participants are to wear the required footwear at all times on the artificial turf field.
- Participants, coaches, and officials must wear molded sole shoes, rubber cleats, or tennis shoes on the artificial turf field.
- The use of spiked and/or metal cleats is strictly prohibited.
- Designated crossing mats will be provided for areas over the track. It is expected that all participants, coaches, and officials utilize the crossing mats when approaching/leaving the field. The placement and removal of the crossing mats will be the responsibility of the field supervisor.
- Substances that may stain or clog the artificial turf field are strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, sunflower seeds, glass, chewing gum, candy, food, crepe paper, coffee, soft drinks, and petroleum jelly. Such substances must be kept outside of the playing area fence; only water is allowed on the turf field. Run-through signage may be utilized by a cheer squad on the track surrounding the artificial field turf. An automatic charge of up to $200, in addition to custodial staff costs, will be assessed to the client for cleanup of such prohibited debris.
- The use of grills (charcoal, gas, or wood), fireworks, or other explosive devices are prohibited. There is to be no burning of any material on school property.
- The use of sharp objects or golf clubs on the artificial turf field is prohibited.
- Marking, lining, or painting on the track, turf, or other facility surfaces is prohibited.
Respectful Use of Artificial Turf Fields & Surrounding Complex
As indicated in West Fargo Public Schools “Use of District Facilities for other than School Purposes – Guideline 9,” clients are expected to conduct activities and use the space(s) in a respectful and orderly manner. It is expected that all clients will show respect to the building, staff, equipment, and each other when utilizing the space for their contractual period. Specific examples of the expectations that need to be followed include, but are not limited to, those listed below.
Upon notification of a client’s misuse of space (including those mentioned above), the Facility Rental Program will contact the client in question to discuss the issue. One warning will be given for the first infraction; any subsequent infractions will result in the loss of space for the remainder of the contractual period. As indicated in West Fargo Public Schools “Use of District Facilities for other than School Purposes – Guideline 4,” a client who violates the terms of the rental contract can also be denied future privileges at the discretion of the Facility Rental Program.