Building Use Agreement

DC Public Schools (DCPS) buildings are managed by the Department of General Services. A Building Use Agreement (BUA) is required for organizations that operate in a DCPS building outside of regular school hours. To obtain a BUA, an Application for Facilities Use must be signed by the school principal and sent to Realty.Applications@dc.gov at least 20 business days before programming can begin.

Depending on the nature of your partnership with the school, fees for rent and related services such as custodial support and security may be applied. Facilities Use Agreements are required even where there are no DCPS students present for DCPS programming at the time your program is using the building.

NOTE: Applications for Facilities Use must be received further in advance, typically in the spring, for approval to operate summer programs in DCPS schools. More information about summer facilities use requirements can be found here.

APPLICATION TO USE FACILITIES

Fill out the Application to Use Facilities form.

Applications can also be obtained at any area school or by contacting the DGS Realty Office.

*NEW* for School Year 2026-2027: requests for afterschool field use must now be submitted seperately via RecTrac. The late permit window for Fall 2028 is August 3 - August 10.

Secure the signature of the principal at the bottom of the form.

Applications must be signed by the principal of the school in which you wish to use space.

Submit the signed form to the Department of General Services (DGS) Realty Office at Realty.Applications@dc.gov.

Applications must be submitted at least twenty (20) working days prior to the proposed use. In some cases, the school will do this for you.

Submit required documentation to the DGS Realty Office

Upon receipt of the application, the DGS Realty Office will respond in writing stating the terms and conditions, to include applicable fees associated with the usage. Non-DCPS users and non-DC Government users will be required to execute and submit an Assumption of Risk Indemnification and Waiver Form, a valid insurance certificate* that meets the DGS requirements.

All applicable payments must be made via RecTrac, prior to the commencement of the activity.

*NOTE: This insurance check is in addition to the insurance check done through the MOA. The MOA has additional insurance requirements that an organization must meet.

APPLICATION TO USE FACILITIES

Facilities Use Fees

UPDATE: Security costs for SY25-26

DC Public Schools (DCPS) will cover security costs for FREE school program providers(SPPs) during the 2025-2026 school year. Eligible SPPs must:

be registered with the DCPS Partnerships team;
have an active Memorandum of Agreement on file with DCPS;
have a signed and submitted Facilities Use Agreement in place;
AND provide services at no cost to DCPS students and families.

Security costs will not be covered for partners who are not in compliance with DCPS policies or who charge families/students a fee for their services. If you have any questions about your organization’s eligibility, please reach out to dcps.partnerships@k12.dc.gov.

Reduced Fees for School Related Organizations

The following groups may use buildings and grounds, except leased facilities, at a reduced rate during normal hours for purposes not conflicting with the school’s operations and not generating any additional costs to DCPS:

PTAs and HSAs are entitled to four free meetings per year outside of the normal operating hours of their schools
Local School Community Boards
Parental and School Advisory Committees established pursuant to federal and local laws
City-wide education organizations or local affiliates of national educational associations
Organizations providing volunteer support services to the school

Current user fees (see below) will be charged for anyone not listed above.

Fees

PTAs and HSAs are entitled to four free meetings per year outside of the normal operating hours of their schools
Local School Community Boards
Parental and School Advisory Committees established pursuant to federal and local laws
City-wide education organizations or local affiliates of national educational associations
Organizations providing volunteer support services to the school

Current user fees (see below) will be charged for anyone not listed above. Hourly rentals are only available for field/stadium facilities.

All payments are now made electronically via RecTrac.

Additional Fees:

Custodial overtime fee: Cost varies (actual costs will be calculated on a per hour basis by the DGS Realty Office)
Security services fee: Varied according to the contracted services

VIEW THE FEES SCHEDULE