Partnerships, Facility Partnerships, Sponsorships and Donations Regulation

1.1 Partnership: 

1. A partnership is a mutually-beneficial relationship between the Durham District School Board (the Board) or its schools and members of the larger community. Community partners can be from the public or private sector including businesses, community service agencies, other educational institutions, government departments, service clubs, and financial institutions.
2. Partnerships are joint ventures which are consistent with the ethics, core values, and goals of all  partners.
3. Partnerships are built on shared values and objectives, and involve joint contributions of resources (human, material, and/or financial).
4. Community partners contribute enriched learning opportunities for our students and enhance the 
   relevance of education by strengthening the links between the classroom and the outside world.
5. Partnership agreements do not prevent the Board from addressing its facility needs through new 
   construction/additions, major renovations or school closures as it is the Board’s responsibility to support and promote student achievement in a healthy and safe environment.

1.2 Facility Partnership:

1. A facility partnership is a contractual agreement between the Board and a community-based 
   organization for co-building new facilities or sharing unused space in existing Board-owned facilities.
2. An approved capital plan is a document developed by the Board containing its immediate (5-year) and long-term (15-year) plan to address future needs of students. For the purposes of Regulation #1330, this approved capital plan is the “Accommodation Planning Trends Issues and Future Opportunities” 
   document approved annually by the Board. It highlights areas of enrolment growth and decline and 
   includes enrolment projections (elementary and secondary); school capacity, potential consolidations 
   and the construction of new schools or additions or significant renovations.

1.3 Sponsorship: 

1. A sponsorship is a contractual agreement between a school or the Board and a company or community-based organization designed to benefit both parties.
2. Sponsorships agreements are time-specific and clearly define the sponsor's contribution and expectations for recognition.
3. A sponsor is a company or community-based organization which has agreed to make a contribution of money and/or an in-kind contribution of goods to a school or the Board.
4. Sponsorship agreements are built around a specific program or service and categorized as follows:

• • School-based agreements involving one school;
  • Area agreements involving schools in an area;
  • Board-wide agreements involving the whole Board; and
  • Exclusive: agreements which give exclusive rights of sponsorship throughout the Board to a company or organization.

1.4 Donations: 

1. A donation is a contribution of money or goods.

2.1 Partnerships: 

1. School-based partnerships must be approved by the Principal, with notification to the Area Superintendent; area partnerships must be approved by the Area Superintendent and Superintendent of Education/Operations; and board-wide partnerships must be approved by the Director of Education or designate.
2. The goals and objectives of school-based partnerships will be consistent with the Board's mission, statements of values, policies, and curricular goals and address the unique school and community needs as outlined in the school improvement plan.
3. All activities related to partnerships must be non-exploitive commercially or otherwise of students, staff members, and the school.
4. Partnerships are limited to public or private sector members who:
   
   • demonstrate a commitment to community service and a publicly governed and funded education system; and
   • manufacture or provide products and/or services deemed compatible with the mission, statements of values, policies, or curricular goals of the Board.
5. Board employees must not personally benefit materially or financially from a partnership.
6. Partnerships must be initially evaluated for suitability with the Board’s Operational and Strategic Plans, Ignite Learning, policies, and the Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement and Well-being (BIPSAW) and curricular goals. Partnerships must also be evaluated on a regular basis to ensure ongoing benefit and value to all partners.
7. The Board and its schools may acknowledge the contributions of its partners but will not endorse the products, services or activities of any partner.
8. Although partnerships do not require written agreements, it is essential that the partners agree to the partnership goals and action plan, and that the expectations, roles, and responsibilities of each partner are clearly defined and understood.
9. Student and School Community Councils may be involved in partnerships.
10. The school or Board reserves the right to terminate a partnership should a partner:
    • fail to honour the terms of the partnership;
    • use the name or logo of the school or Board outside the parameters of the partnership agreement; and
    • develop a public image incompatible with the Board’s Operational and Strategic Plans, Ignite Learning, policies or curricular goals.

2.2 Facility Partnerships: 

1. Facility partnerships must:
   
   • Be approved on behalf of the Board by the Superintendent of Education/Business. In certain 
     circumstances, Ministry approval may be required in accordance with the Education Act.
   • Not increase facility operating costs and improve services and supports for students. It must also strengthen relationships between the Board and the partner and the public.
   • Maximize use of Board infrastructure and provide a foundation for improved service delivery for communities.
2. The health and safety of students is paramount and must be protected.
3. A partnership must not compromise the student achievement strategy.
4. Entities that provide competing education services such as tutoring services, JK-12 private schools or private colleges, and credit offering entities that are not government-funded, are not eligible partners.
5. School Board Planning and Broader Community Objectives:
   • The Board must share its most recent approved capital plan with identified community partners so that external entities may have sufficient time to respond to opportunities where such opportunities may result infacility partnerships or contributions to land-use or green space/park plans. Such opportunities must support the board’s immediate and long-term goals regarding student achievement and protect the health and safety of students. It remains the Board’s responsibility to determine which opportunities and facilities are suitable or not suitable for facility partnerships.
   • The Board must share its most recent approved capital plan with identified community partners so that external entities may have sufficient time to respond to opportunities where such opportunities may result in facility partnerships or contributions to land-use or green space/park plans. Such opportunities must support the board’s immediate and long-term goals regarding student achievement and protect the health and safety of students. It remains the Board’s responsibility to determine which opportunities and facilities are suitable or not suitable for facility partnerships.
   • Where the Board is proposing a school consolidation as identified in its approved capital plan and in compliance with Policy and Procedure: Pupil Accommodation Review, the Board is to share the component of the approved capital plan associated with the impacted schools with the identified community groups. Should the Board approve the establishment of an Accommodation Review in accordance with Policy and Procedure: Pupil Accommodation Review, the Board is to ensure the excerpt of the approved capital plan is also shared with the Accommodation Review Committee and/or included in the initial Board Staff Report.
6. Notification of Spaces Available for a Facility Partnership:
   1. For surplus space being offered for sale or lease, the Board will continue to follow the circulation process outlined in O. Reg. 444/98 - Disposition of Surplus Real Property, which sets out the priority public sector bodies to receive notice.
   2. Information related to the intention to build new schools or additions, and information regarding 
      unused space in open and operating schools and administrative buildings that is available for facility partnership will be posted to the Board's website.
   3. The information regarding space will be updated as early as possible for planning new schools and additions, and once a year for space in existing schools. The name and contact information of the staff member at the Board who will respond to questions regarding facility partnerships throughout the year will also be posted to the Board's website.
   4. A notification list of parties to be notified when new information is posted to the Board's website will be created. The list will include all priority public sector bodies listed in Ontario Regulation 444/98 -Disposition of Surplus Real Property. In addition, the list is to include the following organizations:
      
      • • The Clerk of each of the lower tier municipalities and the Clerk of the Region of Durham
        • The local District Social Services Administration Boards or Consolidated Municipal Service Managers
        • Public Health Boards
        • Local Health Integration Networks
        • Children’s Mental Health Centres
        • Any other entity approved by the Board based on the partnership criteria Above
      • The notification list may also include Childcare operators and government-funded agencies specifically requesting to be on the notification list.
      • It remains the responsibility of the parties listed above to determine whether or not the information posted by the Board is relevant to their needs given the location of the available school space or proposed creation of new school space either through new school construction, additions to existing schools or major renovations.
   5. A meeting will be held at least once a year to discuss potential facility partnership opportunities with the community and to listen to what needs or plans community partners may have. The meeting may be part of the agenda of a regularly scheduled Board meeting. Notification of the meeting will be provided to the entities on the notification list and will be posted to the Board's website.
   6. Where the Board is examining options to establish an accommodation review leading to school 
      consolidation and meeting criteria set out in Policy and Procedure: Pupil Accommodation Review, the Board will invite the parties listed under part iv above, in writing, to meet with Board staff to explore options to address underutilized space in the specific area identified by the Board. The meeting invitation will be sent only to those parties identified under part IV having an interest in the specific area identified by the Board for potential consolidation.
   7. At this meeting to seek feedback on any proposed accommodation review the Board will provide an excerpt from its approved capital plan focusing on the area where it is considering initiating an accommodation review. Invited organizations, electing to participate in this meeting, are expected to bring relevant planning information, including but not limited to, population projections, growth plans (future residential development and non-residential development information), community needs, land-use and green space/park requirements. A nil response to the written invitation by an invited entity will be considered to be an expression of 
      non-interest in the Board’s proposed process.
   8. Where these invited groups may have proposed partnerships resulting in the long-term utilization of the identified surplus space, the Board staff will consider such options if:
      
      1. The option supports continued student achievement and does not adversely impact the health and safety of students;
      2. If the option complies with 1 above, the option must be in place within one year of the date of the meeting in which the Board consulted with the parties listed in part iv on the proposed establishment of an Accommodation Review. If within six months of the one-year period, no progress towards full implementation of the partnership has been made, the Board reserves the right to cancel the negotiations.
7. Co-building with Community Partners:
   1. The construction of new schools, additions and renovations represents a significant public 
      investment in a long-term asset and provides an opportunity to consider co-building with entities 
      that provide services and programs for children, their families and the broader community, such as libraries, daycares, etc. As much information as possible and as soon as possible will be provided about contemplated new schools in order to assist potential partners in determining the project's suitability for their purposes (where possible, notification will be provided within 1 to 3 years of the potential construction start date). The notification will be supported by a board resolution.
   2. The Board may have deadlines related to student accommodation needs or funding parameters. Potential partners will be notified of such deadlines to ensure that timelines are maintained. 
      However, all potential construction projects are subject to Ministry of Education funding approval and as a result, may be delayed or deferred beyond the Board-established timeline.
   3. Any expressions of interest will be evaluated and prioritized within the framework of this regulation. The Minister's approval of some partnerships may be required under the Education Act.
   4. Partnership agreements cannot be finalized until both the Board and the partner(s) have an 
      approved source of funding. It is the Board’s expectation that where feasible, each partner in a new construction project will have ownership of their respective portions of the facility if the gross floor area is sizeable.
   5. Where the Board requests funding approval or funding transfers from the Ministry of Education for a project including a partnership opportunity, the Board is to indicate receipt of interest from the partner entity.
   6. Community partners may provide information to the Board when they have Proposals or plans to build their own facilities throughout the year or during the annual facility partnership-related public meeting held by the Board.
8. Sharing Unused Space in Existing Schools with Community Partners:
   1. The Board will annually review underutilized open and operating schools and administrative facilities for their suitability for partnership, based on criteria determined by the Board. At a minimum, the criteria will include recognition that the space has been utilized at 60 percent or less for at least two years and/or have 200 or more unused pupil places available for use. Once this analysis is complete, the Board is to continue the analysis based on other potentially suitable facilities for sharing space with community partners. However, the space needs of existing educational programming and initiatives and long-term delivery of these programs must be considered.
   2. Issues will also be considered related to student and facility safety, the Board's student achievement and pupil accommodation strategies (including those that may result in school consolidations), long-term utilization of the building, zoning and site use restrictions, facility condition, the configuration of space and the ability to separate the space used by partners from the space used by students, among other factors.
   3. If the space is suitable for facility partnerships, the Board will follow the notification process outlined above. This notification will be supported by a Board resolution. Information will be provided about the available space, including but not limited to size, location, any unique facility amenities, and required renovations.
   4. Any expressions of interest will be evaluated and prioritized within the framework of this regulation. The Minister's approval of some partnerships may be required under the Education Act.
   5. The Board may enter into a license or joint use agreement.
9. Facility Partnership Agreements and Cost-Recovery:
   1. Clear instructions will be provided to potential partners regarding their rights and responsibilities as tenants, including maintenance standards, custodial requirements and the applicability of Board user policies, including accessibility and inclusiveness policies. Legal advisers will be consulted to ensure agreements meet legal requirements, respect the Education Act and protect the rights of the Board and students.
   2. All agreements will be on a cost-recovery basis. Where the Board is the sole owner of the facility, fees charged to partners will include capital and operating costs including administrative costs, property taxes if applicable and the costs of any minor renovations to protect student safety.
   3. In co-building, partners will be required to pay for and finance their share of the construction 
      including a proportion of the costs of any joint-use or shared space.

2.3 Sponsorships: 

1. School-based sponsorships must be approved by the Principal, with notification to the Area Superintendent; area sponsorships must be approved by the Area Superintendent and Superintendent of Education/Operations; board-wide sponsorships must be approved by the Director of Education or designate, and exclusive agreements require Board approval.
2. The eligibility of a potential sponsor will be determined by the following criteria:
   
   • compatibility of the sponsor's product(s) or service(s) with the Board's mission, statements of 
     values, policies, and curricular goals;
   • sponsor's history, ownership, representatives, and affiliations;
   • sponsor's expectations of the school or Board; and
   • the program/event which the sponsor wishes to support.
3. The sponsorship will be embodied in a written agreement setting out the conditions, terms, and 
   extent of the sponsorship including the following details:
   • the specific contribution of the sponsor;
   • the length of the agreement
   • clearly defined conditions regarding the sponsor's use of the name or logo of the school and Board.
4. The school or Board reserves the right to terminate an existing sponsorship agreement should any of 
   the following occur:
   • a sponsor becomes ineligible under any of the terms outlined in the agreement;
   • the sponsor uses the name or logo of the school or Board outside the parameters of the sponsorship agreement; and
   • the sponsor develops a public image incompatible with the Board's Board’s Operational and Strategic Plans, Ignite Learning, policies, or curricular goals.
5. Board employees must not personally benefit materially or financially from a sponsorship.

2.4 Donations: 

1. The solicitation of donations from individuals, organizations or businesses to encourage support for 
   school programs shall be approved by the Principal (who may consult with parent groups).
2. Requests for contributions shall be monitored by the Principal to ensure goodwill within the school 
   community.
3. School-based donations must be approved by the Principal with notification of significant donations 
   to the Area Superintendent; area donations must be approved by the Area Superintendent and 
   Superintendent of Education/Facilities Services or Financial and Business Services as appropriate; 
   and Board-wide donations must be approved by the Director of Education or designate.
4. Principals shall keep a record of significant donations received by the school.
5. Consultations with the Facilities Services Department and the Health and Safety Department are 
   required prior to accepting donations in the following categories:
   • creative or adventure playgrounds or equipment; and
   • items which require modifications to buildings.
6. Consultations with the Business Department and the Health and Safety Department are required 
   prior to accepting donations in the following categories:
   • all electrical equipment which requires CSA approval under the Occupational Health and Safety Act;
   • all chemical products regulated under the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), e.g., art supplies or paint; and
   • all furniture and equipment (e.g., table saws).
7. Donations are not permitted of old equipment and appliances that do not meet the standards of the 
   Health and Safety Department, consume relatively high amounts of energy, or are expensive to maintain.
8. Donations of computer equipment will not be accepted.
9. Items received by schools as donations shall be retained at the receiving school under the ownership of the Board.
10. The Board shall retain the discretion to remove, repair, or modify any donated items as required.
11. No member of the Board or employee of the Board is permitted to receive a personal gift, donation or 
    discount from any supplier of goods or services to the Board. (See Policy: Receipt of Gifts)

1. Advertising is the use of any logo, graphic representation, and/or slogan to promote a product or services of a company or community-based organization in a school or the Board.
2. The products must be compatible with the Board's Operational and Strategic Plans, Ignite Learning, 
   policies and curricular goals.
3. The Board recognizes community involvement through advertising.
4. All advertising activities related to partnerships, sponsorships, and donations must be commercially or otherwise non-exploitive of students, staff members, and the school.
5. Direct access to parents or the public for the purpose of solicitation may be permitted with prior approval. School-based solicitations must be approved by the Principal, with notification to the Area Superintendent; area solicitations must be approved by the Area Superintendent and Superintendent of Education/Operations; and board-wide solicitations must be approved by the Director of Education or designate.
6. The Board and its schools may acknowledge the contributions of its partners, sponsors, and donors 
   but will not endorse their products, services, or activities.

1. In certain situations, sponsorships and donations will merit the issuing of an income tax receipt. Such tax receipts will only be issued through the office of the Superintendent of Education/Business following guidelines established by the Business Department within the regulations provided by the Government of Canada for charitable donations.
2. Appraisal of the value of the sponsorship or donation to provide a dollar value for tax receipt purposes will be confirmed by the Business Department of the Board.