It is the purpose of this article to achieve and maintain the following: (a) Without interference with educational programs and activities or unless precluded by lease conditions between the board of education and private tenants under joint occupancy or similar arrangements, maximum utilization of gyms, playing fields, classrooms and other facilities of the Montgomery County public schools by public and nonpublic agencies, community groups and citizens generally throughout the county, toward the end that these public facilities serve the public on a year-round basis; (b) Availability to actual and potential users of comprehensive and current information as to community activities and programs being conducted in school facilities and the conditions under which such facilities may be made available; (c) Allocation and scheduling of facility space among users on an equitable basis; (d) Improvement of coordination among common services utilizing school facilities; (e) Identification of new and expanded facility use possibilities; (f) Establishment of regulations for use, including fee schedules, replacement or repayment for damage to facilities and equipment and other necessary conditions for use; and (g) Full consideration of community use factors in planning the construction or renovation of school facilities. (h) It is the further purpose of this article to provide for maximum flexibility to communities and individual schools in the development of program activities in response to particular community needs.

For the purposes of this Article, the following words and phrases have the meanings indicated: Board. The Interagency Coordinating Board established by Section 44-3. Committee. The advisory committee established by Section 44-5. Director. The Director of Community Use of Public Facilities. Schools. Buildings and grounds, playing fields, gymnasia and associated educational facilities and equipment under the ownership and operating control of the Montgomery County board of education, including but not limited to those schools currently or in the future designated as "community schools." Superintendent. The superintendent of Montgomery County public schools. Community school council. An existing body created to provide information and advice on community needs, program development, facility use and related matters at designated "community schools" or a body as may be created in the future to perform similar functions regarding other schools or groups of schools.

(a) Establishment and responsibilities. Except as provided in Section 44-4A, the Interagency Coordinating Board for Community Use of Public Facilities must review and coordinate the activities conducted under this Article. The Board must: (1) review budget requests of the Director and make recommendations about the requests to the Chief Administrative Officer, County Executive and County Council; (2) recommend fee schedules that the Council may adopt by resolution after receiving the recommendations of the Executive; (3) review and propose modifications in major contracts and grants negotiated between the County and Montgomery County Public Schools under this Article; (4) provide periodic evaluations, advice, and recommendations, and an annual report by March 1 of each year, to the Director, the Board of Education, the Executive, and the Council about implementation of this Article; (5) adopt regulations necessary to implement this Article; and (6) recommend how to resolve any interagency differences and problems in implementing this Article to the Executive, the Board of Education, the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Montgomery College, or the Council, as appropriate, including recommendations to promote coordination between programs and activities conducted under this Article and related services and activities financed by the County government. (b) Membership. The Board consists of voting members and nonvoting, ex officio members. (1) The voting members are: (A) the Chief Administrative Officer; (B) the Superintendent of Schools; (C) the President of Montgomery College; (D) a member of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission designated by the Montgomery County members of the Commission; (E) a Councilmember, the Executive Director of the Office of the County Council, or a senior staff member of the County Council, who represents the Council; (F) one resident appointed by the Superintendent and confirmed by the Board of Education; and (G) three residents appointed by the Executive and confirmed by the Council. The Advisory Committee may recommend individuals to the Executive and the Superintendent for appointment as resident members of the Board. (2) The nonvoting, ex officio members of the board are: (A) a member of the Board of Education designated by the Board of Education; (B) a person designated by the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals to represent secondary school administrators and confirmed by the Council; (C) a person designated by the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals to represent elementary school administrators and confirmed by the Council. (3) The Chief Administrative Officer, the Superintendent of Schools, the President of Montgomery College, and the Montgomery County member of the Maryland- National Capital Park and Planning Commission may each designate a senior staff member to serve in their absence as an alternate member of the Board. (c) Officers. The Board must elect a Chair and Vice Chair to serve for a one-year term, and may reelect either or both officers. (d) Terms. Members of the Board appointed under subsections (b)(1)(F) and (G) and (2)(B) and (C) must serve staggered four-year terms beginning on July 1 of the year when the term of the member's predecessor is scheduled to expire. A member continues to serve until the member's successor is appointed. (e) Compensation. Members of the Board serve without compensation. (f) Meetings. The Board must meet at least once every three months. The Board may be convened at any time, with appropriate advance notice, at the call of the chair or upon the request of the Chief Administrative Officer or the Superintendent. (g) Attendance. Section 2-148(c) applies only to resident members of the Board.

Except as provided in Section 44-4A, the Director must: (a) Administer the programs and activities necessary to carry out the purposes of this article; (b) Administer appropriated funds and explore the possibility of obtaining additional funds from non-county sources; (c) Provide information and guidance to community groups, municipal governments, county agencies and other users of school facilities as to ways in which such facility use could be made more cost effective; (d) In consultation with the board and with the approval of the chief administrative officer, employ and train community school coordinators and other necessary personnel; (e) Directly with individual schools or through community school coordinators (or other intermediate personnel), maintain effective liaison and consultation with school principals, community school councils and other community organizations and user groups in order to fulfill the following responsibilities, among others: (1) Encourage and assist in the formation of community school councils; (2) Schedule use of school facilities; (3) Under arrangements with school principals, assure general and proper supervision of non-school use of buildings and other facilities, including the engagement of appropriate on-site personnel; (4) Generally coordinate logistical, financial and related aspects of the after-school, evening, weekend and vacation period and other non-school use of school facilities, as may be provided in contractual or other arrangements between the county government and the board of education; (5) Survey community needs and develop outreach and other programs to meet those needs through optimal use of school facilities; and (6) Assume responsibility for needed repair or replacement of property resulting from community use; (f) Effect cooperation among activities under this article, community programs and activities carried on in former schools subsequently taken over by the county government and multipurpose community centers operated by the county government; (g) Serve as executive secretary to the board; and (h) Perform such other related duties as may be required.

(a) There is hereby established an advisory committee to advise the board and director as to programs and activities conducted pursuant to this article; the committee shall bring to the board and director a broad spectrum of ideas and recommendations as to community use of school facilities. The committee shall submit recommendations to the board on the following subjects: ways by which school facility use may be increased by public agencies and community groups; ways in which information and other outreach efforts may be approved; ways in which facility utilization may be made more cost effective; and, ways by which procedural changes may result in a more effective operation. (b) Members of the committee shall be appointed by the board or designated by organizations under arrangements specified by the board and shall be representative of various county and community groups with interests in school facility use. Committee members shall serve without compensation. The director shall provide necessary staff support for the committee.

(a) An enterprise fund is established. The Director of Finance administers the fund. The Director of Finance must deposit to the enterprise fund: (1) all funds paid to the County, either directly or through the Montgomery County public school system, from user fees and other payments for non-school use of school facilities; (2) funds from grants, contracts, or other arrangements with federal or state governments or from other public or private sources in connection with the non-school use of school facilities; (3) all funds paid to the County from user fees and other payments for community use of other public facilities; and (4) any funds appropriated by the County Council to the enterprise fund. (b) The Director of Finance must pay from the enterprise fund amounts necessary to: (1) reimburse the Montgomery County public schools for costs incurred or services rendered in making school facilities available for community or other non-school use; (2) reimburse a government agency for costs incurred or services rendered in making other public facilities available for community use; (3) pay the expenses of meetings and other activities of the Board; salaries and other expenses for the Director, coordinators, and other personnel necessary to implement this Chapter; and (4) pay any other expenses necessary to carry out the activities authorized or required by this Chapter. (c) (1) The Director of Finance and the Director of Management and Budget must establish a system of fund accounts and other accounts that reflect all identifiable direct costs necessary to make school facilities available for non-school use and other public facilities available to community use. For school facilities, the Directors must establish the accounting system in cooperation with the Superintendent, using criteria approved by the Board. This subsection does not apply to a joint tenancy arrangement maintained by the Board of Education. (2) The accounts established under paragraph (1) must provide the financial basis to: (A) calculate and establish fee schedules; (B) estimate any subsidy the County will provide for a particular type of community use; and (C) prepare budget requests for the appropriation of County funds to implement this Article.