Prince William County Public Schools

Art, Dance, Music, and Theater Events

PWCS welcomes the visual and performing arts and similar activities in our schools.

Due to the nature of these requests and the space/equipment needed, high school locations are typically the most suitable places to host these types of activities. The amount of planning involved for both the organization and the school to accommodate these requests is greater than other events, so it is recommended these types of activities be booked in advance as far as possible.

Information for Prince William County Arts Council Organizations

Renters who represent an organization, which is a member of the PWC Arts Council, are required to contact the Arts Council to reserve the facilities at the reduced rates. Please get in touch with the liaison to complete this process. They will submit the reservation to the school on the organization's behalf. Please take note that PWC Arts Council members, which reserve school facilities outside of this requirement, may pay additional rental fees for use.

To get in touch with the current liaison, please review the PWC Arts Council's Contact webpage.

Educational Classes

Educational classes, as defined by PWCS, are instructional sessions conducted in a classroom setting by an accredited educational facility, such as a university or college. To be categorized as an educational class, official correspondence from the institution must be provided advising who is authorized to teach the class for each semester. Please note that educational classes do not include tutoring sessions.

General Meetings, Conferences, and Professional Training

Meetings are the most common activities that take place in PWCS facilities. These types of events may be exclusively for members of the sponsoring organization or open to the public. Conferences geared towards professional development and job training are also included in this category. For meetings of a political nature, please review our Political Events page. Activities falling under this category are deemed uncommon by PWCS and will require a mandatory review prior to taking place.

Private, Personal, and Commercial Events

Renters which do not possess nonprofit status, are considered for-profit, or are seeking space to conduct private/personal activities, are included in this classification. Events of this nature may span a wide variety of activities, which include, but are not limited to, meetings, children's birthday parties, athletic tournaments, formal dinners and banquets, dance/talent shows, private memorial services, vendor fairs, food truck shows, and music festivals.

Religious and Cultural Celebrations, Instruction, and Services

Religious organizations of all faiths and groups established to celebrate cultures, customs, and heritages are welcome to use the facilities as long as they align with PWCS' policy for inclusion and do not restrict participation by reason of race, religion, sex, creed, or national origin.

Events of this nature may involve a variety of activities such as: cultural dances and festivals, gospel concerts, language classes, religious instruction, and weekly services. For recurring cultural/religious services (e.g., Sunday morning services), PWCS recommends interested organizations reserve their events as far in advance as possible.

Sports/Athletic Activities

Renters seeking use of the outdoor athletic areas, such as the fields, or indoor areas such as a gymnasium, for sporting events, must reserve space in accordance with the procedures outlined in Regulation 930-2, Community Use of High School Athletic Facilities and the Cooperative Agreement between PWC and PWCS (PDF). Please review the information below to determine how to reserve the school of your choice.

• If you represent a nonprofit group, seeking use of an elementary or middle school for athletics, please go to our Parks and Recs Athletic Groups webpage.

• If you represent a nonprofit group, seeking use of a high school for athletics, you will register an account and submit a request directly to the high school of choice using the steps outlined on our Summary of the Process webpage.

• If you represent a commercial group or an organization which does not have nonprofit status, you will register an account and submit a request directly to the school of choice using the steps outlined on our Summary of the Process webpage. Please note that commercial organizations may directly schedule fields and athletic areas for sporting events regardless of school level (i.e., elementary, middle, or high school).

NOTE: PWCS grass fields officially close on December 1 and reopen on April 1.

Town Halls (Non-Political)

Organized groups and community members may use school facilities to conduct public town hall meetings. These 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.

Town halls of a political nature are classified differently and will require further review before they may take place. Please review our Political Events webpage for additional details.