Uncommon and Prohibited Activities, Events and Rentals

Events Involving Filming

Requests to film video within school facilities or on school grounds, including times when students and staff do not occupy the building, must be submitted to Security and Crisis Readiness, which will, in turn, forward the inquiry to Communications for review and approval. This is mandatory, and no exceptions will be made.

While requests are typically authorized within 5-10 business days, information pertaining to filming on school property should be submitted at least 30 days in advance to allow staff time to review the request and obtain additional details, if necessary.

All inquiries related to filming can be emailed to [email protected], or [email protected], or the Request to Film On School Property application can be completed.

Filming may not include any information that would identify the school, which includes, but is not limited to: insignia, logos, and text. This applies to both indoor and outdoor filming.

Renters must be prepared to provide answers to the following initial inquiries in relation to the filming:

Who will be filming?

Will the organization do so or will the services of a third party be acquired by the organization? If hiring a third party, what is the name of the filming company, and are they insured?

What props, if any, will be used?

Please note that per Regulations 735-1, "Prohibited Substances," and 775-1, "Weapons and Other Prohibited Objects," props resembling weapons and drugs are not permitted on school property. Requests of this nature will automatically be denied.

Will PWCS students be involved in the filming?

If yes, PWCS will require additional information, review, and waivers are mandatory. Only inquiries from news organizations and filming as it relates to education will be considered. All students participating in filming conducted by non-news organizations must have in place a signed parent opt-in with a legal review of the agreement.

Will it be a scripted event?

Communications may require a copy of the script for only those scenes to be filmed on school property. If the filming involves a different activity, such as a music video, a copy of the song lyrics may be requested. For documentaries, which typically have no script, Communications may require additional details regarding the subject matter.

Outdoor Grilling On School Property

Renters who wish to employ the use of a grill during a community use activity must first request permission from both the school and Security and Crisis Readiness in advance. Requests to grill are typically approved within one to three school business days. PWCS recommends that these types of requests be submitted no later than 5-10 business days in advance. All renters are required to adhere to the following stipulations:

• Both the school and Security and Crisis Readiness must first authorize the use of the grill on school property;
• Only gas grills may be used (no charcoal, lava rocks, stone, etc.);
• The grill must be placed on a level/even surface and at least 25 feet from all structures and buildings;
• A fire extinguisher must be present at all times when the grill is in use; and
• No children under 18 may operate the grill.

Schools reserve the right to ask that the renter cease use of and remove the grill from school property if any unsafe behavior is observed during its use.

Food Trucks

Food trucks have become a popular way for organizations to provide meals, snacks, and other treats for those attending events. Renters seeking to employ the use of food trucks during an activity must first request permission from both the school and Security and Crisis Readiness in advance. If no more than four food trucks will be present, approval is typically granted within one to three school business days. PWCS highly recommends that requests to employ the use of food trucks be submitted within 5-10 business days in advance if four or fewer trucks will be at the event. For five or more food trucks, these requests will need to be submitted no less than 30 days in advance. All renters are responsible for ensuring the following stipulations are followed:

• Advise both the school and Security and Crisis Readiness on how many food trucks you plan to have during the event;
• Ensure all food trucks are restricted to the parking lot and legally parked;
• Ensure food trucks do not block any emergency entrances/exits/lanes, such as a fire lane or emergency route;
• Renter is responsible for confirming the food truck vendor has obtained all required health and safety permits to operate (Note: these are normally stickers displayed on the truck itself); and
• Renters are required to file a Temporary Activity Permit (TAP) form if there will be more than four food trucks at the event. Please see our Required Rental Documents webpage for additional details.

The school reserves the right to request that any food trucks leave the property if they do not adhere to the requirements listed above or are without proper permits to operate as a food truck vendor.

School Kitchen Facilities

The kitchen facilities are in place to primarily serve the needs of PWCS students. As such, kitchen facilities are not available for rental, and schools do not have the ability to honor requests to heat, store, or refrigerate food for renters.

All requests to operate drones on school property, including times when the facilities are not occupied, must be requested through Security and Crisis Readiness. Such requests may be emailed directly to [email protected] or [email protected]. Depending upon the nature of the activity, additional approvals may be required. For this reason, these types of requests should be submitted at least 30 days in advance.

Operators of drones must be aware of and adhere to the following stipulations:

• Drones may not be operated indoors. Drones may only be used outdoors.
• In the Commonwealth of Virginia, to legally operate a drone for commercial purposes, all individuals flying the device must follow the FAA's Small UA S Rule (Part 107). Any individuals who will be flying the drone must provide a copy of the acquired license to PWCS.
• The operation of a drone is an activity that is not typically insured under an organization's standard general liability policy. PWCS will require evidence that the use of the drone is covered. This may either be provided as an amendment or supplemental to the current policy. If the operator is a professional and separately insured, a copy of their coverage will also suffice.
• If the use of a drone is in relation to filming, please also review the Filming on School Property section for additional procedures.

PWCS reserves the right to deny any activity or use of equipment on school property if it may interfere with the safety, security, and/or privacy of PWCS staff and students.

Regardless of partisanship, all political events, with the exception of national, state, and local elections sponsored by the Virginia State Board of Elections, et al., require primary approval from the Communications Department. Depending upon the nature of the activity, additional approvals may be required from PWCS. For this reason, it is recommended that these types of events be submitted at least 30 days in advance.

All political activities must be orderly and lawful, not of a nature to incite others to disorder, and not restricted by reason of race, religion, sex, creed, or national origin.

PWCS retains the right to deny activities of a political nature, which are deemed inappropriate or have the potential to place students, staff, and/or property at risk.

PWCS strongly prefers that political events be held during times when no students occupy the building; however, if the activity is scheduled after normal school hours in accordance with current procedures and students are still present for after-school events, then political activities must adhere to the following:

• The political event will be restricted to an enclosed area of use (e.g., cafeteria) as opposed to an open area (e.g., commons) where the activity would be in plain view of students, staff, and visitors.
• No students may be involved with the event.
• The organization will not be permitted to place flyers, banners, or other campaign materials in areas where students, staff, or visitors may view them.
• No flyers or other campaign materials may be distributed to students, staff, or visitors while on campus, with the exception of distribution to adults (18 and older) attending the event.
• All campaign materials are restricted to the enclosed area of use.

Please contact us regarding if you have additional concerning political events.

Rental of a school facility does not automatically include use of the PWCS wireless network, and schools have no obligation to allow access. If this service is necessary for the event, renters must directly request permission from the school. It is recommended that the location be contacted as soon as possible to inquire about such access.

Renters should also take note of the following:

• The service is provided "as is," and PWCS makes no guarantees of connection speeds or uninterrupted access.
• For renters with use scheduled on the weekends, please view our Monthly Maintenance Outages page for a list of dates regularly scheduled network maintenance is performed. During this time, Wi-Fi may be unavailable.
• PWCS will not modify network access for any renter, which includes, but is not limited to: blocking or unblocking sites, removing filters, changing the network speed, or installing data drops, etc.
• Renters are not permitted to use PWCS computers, laptops, or other devices that store student or staff data or may permit access to student or staff data.
• Renters may not plug or unplug PWCS computers or other devices.
• Renters may only be granted access to the web through the wireless network and are not permitted to plug devices directly into ethernet connections.
• PWCS will neither create accounts for renters to use PWCS equipment or devices nor give out passwords that would permit access to the network via a method other than the wireless one.

Activities involving alcohol are strictly prohibited on all school property per Virginia Code § 4.1-309 - Drinking or possessing alcoholic beverages in or on public school grounds; penalty, with the exception noted for religious congregations using wine for sacramental purposes only.

Drug paraphernalia, controlled substances, look-alike drugs, and other items considered to be drugs per Regulation 735-1, "Prohibited Substances," are strictly prohibited on school property.

The following types of equipment and props are not permitted on school property:

• All equipment used to conduct water activities (e.g., water tag, water slides, etc.)
• Bungee jumpers
• Cold spark machines
• Color powder poppers
• Fog machines
• Gladiator or jousting equipment (including bungee combos)
• Human foosball
• Look-alike drugs
• Look-alike weapons
• Rock-climbing walls
• Zip lines

School facilities are not available for funerals, and no remains are allowed on PWCS property. Remembrance ceremonies, fellowships, memorial services, and meals are permitted.

Gambling in any form is strictly prohibited. Activities that involve raffles and other games of chance may be approved upon review from Security and Crisis Readiness.

Per Regulation 271-2, "Service Animals," service animals trained to perform tasks that mitigate the effects of a disability are permitted at all indoor and outdoor events. The animal must be under the control of its handler at all times, properly leashed, and cleaned up after by the owner.

PWCS does not permit the rental of playgrounds/playground equipment. While these are considered communal areas, each school may manage access at its discretion. Please take note of the following main restrictions for accessing playgrounds:

• During the school year when classes are in session, the playground equipment may only be used after normal school hours, unless an after-school event is taking place. In case of the latter, such access may only be permitted when the school-sponsored event has ended, and students have vacated the area.
• During the summer, as long as students are not in the building (e.g., summer school, summer enrichment programs), or access is not impeded or made unsafe due to construction/renovations, access may be permitted during normal staff work hours, if the school has authorized it.
• PWCS staff retain the right to ask those using the playground equipment to leave the property if they become disorderly, are demonstrating improper or dangerous use of the equipment, attempt to access spaces they should not, etc.
• The property may not be used after dark, per Virginia Code § 18.2-128.
• No one may be granted any priority access, and they must share the space with others in the community who wish to use the equipment. Users must not monopolize, cordon off sections, restrict access, or impede another's ability to use the equipment in anyway including requesting others to leave, with the exception noted for school staff above.

Per Regulation 403-1, "Use of Tobacco Products," PWCS does not permit the use and distribution of tobacco products or alternative nicotine products, including electronic smoking devices, and any components or accessories used in the consumption of tobacco products, on school property at any time, including non-school hours.

Weapons, look-alike weapons, and other items considered to be weapons per Regulations 401.01-9, "Prohibition of Firearms and Weapons & PWCS Gun-Free Zones," and 775-1, "Weapons and Other Prohibited Objects," are strictly prohibited on school property.

Yard sales, garage sales, tag sales, and the like are not permitted to take place on PWCS property. These types of events typically involve uninsured/independent community members selling unguaranteed goods. These activities are not to be confused with vendor/craft fairs, which are normally sponsored, organized, and insured by a commercial business, charity, or other nonprofit organization.