Changes for the 2025-2026 School Year!
What you need to know:
- In March 2025, CUPF announced that fee structure changes for the use of public facilities, effective for the 2025-2026 school year. Read the announcement here.
- The Interagency Coordinating Board (ICB) feels strongly that because PTA organizations advocate for students, parents, and teachers of MCPS and their mission and fundraising activities fully support such, their use of public school facilities should be considered internal school/MCPS use.
- Effective for dates of use on or after August 25, 2025, CUPF will no longer charge fees to Montgomery County PTA organizations.
- Schools must reserve all PTA use with CUPF to ensure the space is blocked, HVAC is scheduled, and there are no conflicts with community use.
- PTA organizations should work closely with their home school to have them submit requests on their behalf.
- MCPS leadership participated in this decision process and was in agreement.
- Schools and MCCPTA were notified of this change via email on March 17, 2025.
NEW Quick guide for reserving space:
- August 15: PTAs should provide schools with dates/rooms/times for their school year events by August 15 annually.
- September 15: Schools must submit an Administrative Booking Form to CUPF via ICBWEB by September 15 to receive priority of use.
- Requests after September 15: Requests submitted after September 15 will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis if space is available. Community user groups will not be canceled or ‘bumped’ to accommodate untimely PTA or school requests.
- Staff: Schools should work with the PTA to determine what type of staff and how many will be necessary. Schools are responsible for hiring building services staff, security staff, technical staff, etc., if and when such staff is needed for PTA activities.
- Staff costs: Schools may bill the PTA for staff costs as necessary, the same as the school would pay for their own internal use.
- Reservation changes: The school must submit all changes and cancellations of PTA reservations to CUPF via the Reservation Amendment Form in ICBWEB.
- Use of schools other than PTA home school: PTA organizations using a school other than their home school should have their home school contact the facility they wish to use, make arrangements, and then have the hosting school submit an Administrative Booking Form to CUPF.
- Setup and cleanup: Reservations should include all time needed from walking in to setup through cleanup and the last person out of the building. This planning will avoid disruption to community user groups scheduled before or after the PTA activity.
- Important information: Schools should refer to our resource about MCPS internal use and follow the same guidelines for PTA use: MCPS Internal Use
- Contracted service providers typically offering after-school enrichment activities are NOT given PTA priority for scheduling.
- Schools and the PTA should not submit for any reason on behalf of contracted service providers.
- Contracted service providers must adhere to the General Public's online scheduling process.
ActiveMONTGOMERY:
- PTA use may not be reserved via ActiveMONTGOMERY or any means other than a direct Administrative Booking Form from the hosting school.
- PTA accounts in ActiveMONTGOMERY are no longer necessary.
- Current PTA accounts will be closed.
- Outstanding balances from years prior must be paid by the PTA no later than August 15, 2025.
We are here to help!
Please feel free to contact our office with any questions or concerns.