COVID-19 and Fairfax County Public Schools Community Use of Facilities and Grounds

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Community Use of Facilities is reviewing the COVID-19 CDC and Virginia Governor’s Phase 1,2,3 guidelines. 

FCPS staff are preparing our facilities and grounds for the 2020-21 school year.  Getting our students back to school this fall is Fairfax County Public Schools' top priority.   To assist with this process, FCPS Community Use of Facilities will restrict usage of facilities and grounds to only FCPS internal usage and Fairfax County Government agencies.  Please continue to visit this web page for updates.

Updates as of July 2, 2020

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The Fairfax County School Board encourages the use of school buildings and grounds by the community for educational, recreational, civic, and cultural activities to the extent possible under the law. The Board believes that school facilities are an important resource in developing and sustaining lifelong learning, promoting intergovernmental cooperation, and encouraging citizen participation in community activities.

The priority for community use of facilities is assigned in the following order per Regulation 8420:

• FCPS instructional and extracurricular programs.
• School-related groups such as PTA, PTO, booster club, private tutoring, and school-business Ignite Partners operating under special provisions.
• Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and Fairfax County Park Authority.
• Others, when space is available, including youth groups; Fairfax County employee organizations; cultural and civic groups; colleges and universities; religious organizations; state and federal agencies; private organizations and individuals; and commercial entities.

Have questions? Contact us at fcpscommunityuse@fcps.edu or call 571-423-2340.

New Users Getting Started

If you have never used FCPS facilities before, you must first self register as an organization event coordinator (OEC) through the online reservation system, CommunityUse. This requirement is covered in School Board Regulation 8420 under Section III.A.1. Please review the helpful user's guide provided below.

Registered Users

Once you have registered and have been approved as an organization event coordinator (OEC) in the online reservation system, CommunityUse, you can request space for any FCPS facility.   Please note per Regulation 8420, requests must be submitted at least fifteen (15) business days prior to the event date.  Once your schedule has been approved, the OEC cannot make any adjustments to the schedule, including cancellations. Please contact the community use school contact, see below list, if changes are necessary.  Please refer to the helpful user's guide provided below.

Need assistance or have a question in regards to your building use request?  Contact the school directly utilizing the list of Building Use Contacts below.

Need further assistance on how to request facility usage in FCPS? View the Quick Step Video on Submitting Requests in CommunityUse, the online reservation system.

Field, Gym, and Track Use by Athletic Community

Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services Division (NCS) schedules FCPS fields, gymnasiums, and tracks for use by the athletic community for practice and league play. If an athletic organization is providing additional activities outside of their season registration fee such as camps, clinics, and tryouts or the organization is a for-profit organization, that use must be requested through the FCPS Community Use Section.

• View our webpage on Athletic Facility Scheduling for more detailed information regarding scheduling of athletic facilities.

• Regulation 8420, Attachment D has additional information relating to NCS, season dates and application deadlines for the community.

• View guidelines for sports and athletic activities use of FCPS indoor facilities on our webpage for Athletic Facility Scheduling beyond the school day.

• Please refer to the NCS website for further information and application for use. You may contact NCS at 703-324-5533.

Auditorium Seating Capacities

Please note: The number of fixed seating provided for secondary, high, and middle schools may change slightly if the facility has had improvements or if seats were removed for various reasons.

Contact Us

Should you have general questions pertaining to community use, contact us below:

Gatehouse Administration Center
8115 Gatehouse Road, Suite 3200
Falls Church, Virginia 22042
Vicki Garner, Coordinator
Dan Link, Community Use Assistant
571-423-2340
Fax: 571-423-2347

Prohibited Activities

Community users are prohibited from having the following activities in Fairfax County Public Schools to include in school buildings, on playgrounds and on fields:

• Aerial Acrobatics
• Airplane/Helicopter/Hot Air Balloons Landing
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Animals (except in the case of service animals that are necessary to help an individual with a disability).  The user shall cleanup any school grounds used by service animals participating in scheduled events.
• Candles and/or Incense
• Car Bashing
• Car Wash
• Circus or Carnival
• Color/Splatter Run
• Drones
• Fireworks and Sparklers (except by local Government)
• Fog/Smoke Machines
• Gambling
• Hay (or other flammable items)
• Illegal Drugs
• Laser Tag
• Moon Bounces
• Paint Ball
• Parachuting/Sky Diving (onto parking lots/fields)
• Raingutter Regatta
• Remote Control Flyers
• Rocket Launch
• Running in School Hallways (sports conditioning)
• Skating (roller skates or inline skates—inside buildings)
• Tobacco Products or Smoking Devices (including nicotine vapor products, alternative nicotine products, electronic cigarettes and Hookah pens)