Search This Blog

‼️Holiday Season‼️School Facility Reservation Cut-Off Dates | November 2026 through January 2027

Published: October 1, 2026

Dear CUPF Community,

As the holiday season approaches, we want to help our community prepare for activities during the holiday season. Community Use of Public Facilities will have upcoming submission deadlines for new reservations at Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) facilities. 

Please take a moment to review the important information below to stay informed about cut-off dates and ensure your facility-use requests are submitted on time. 

Thanksgiving Break

Effective November 14, 2026, CUPF will no longer accept new reservation requests for use of School facilities for dates of use November 26, 2026, through November 30, 2026.

Winter Break

Effective December 14, 2026, CUPF will no longer accept new reservation requests for use of School facilities for dates of use December 24, 2026, through January 4, 2027.

Thank you for your understanding as CUPF works alongside MCPS in allowing school staff to have time off to enjoy the holidays with their family, friends, and loved ones.

🗓️Save the Date | November 2, Opening Day Reservations ✨Outdoor School Facilities✨

 Published: September 21, 2026

Opening Day Reservations | Outdoor School Facilities

Dear CUPF Community,

Monday, November 2, 2026, is opening day to request use of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Outdoor School Facilities. 

Included in outdoor reservations are Artificial Turf Fields, Parking Lots, and Tennis Courts for dates of use December 1 through March 14, 2027. It all begins online at⏰6:30 a.m.

For more information, refer to Guidebook: County Facilities.

Contact CUPF Customer Care at 240-777-2725, or send an email to CUPF at: cupf@montgomerycountymd.gov

🔥Streamlined Process for Large Events and Auditorium Use | What You Need to Know

Published: August 20, 2026

Dear CUPF Community, 

We have received very helpful feedback from user groups regarding our process for large events. As a result, we have worked diligently over the last few months to improve the customer experience by reducing the requirements and streamlining the application process. An announcement was made previously and user group feedback related to the improved process has been very positive! Below, we just want to break it down a little bit more in an effort to provide additional clarity. 


Auditorium Use Overview

Auditorium Use is considered a high-volume use type, regardless of the number of repetitive bookings or attendees for any given event. This is due to the extensive amount of planning and coordination of various staff that must occur for a community user group to successfully hold activities in a school auditorium. These complexities create the need for CUPF to have a minimum of 45 days advance notice for reservations. Auditorium use my be requested during specialized scheduling timeframes, as described in the User Guidebook.

Note that the reservation process was recently streamlined and placed online at www.ActiveMONTGOMERY.org based upon customer feedback. CUPF is committed to continuous improvements in the process with use of improved technology being the driving factor.


Large Event Overview

Large Events are reservations expecting a large crowd of people or using an extraordinarily large number of rooms. These events require additional staffing as well but are not always utilizing an auditorium. Often, such events take place in cafeterias, classrooms, gymnasiums, and artificial turf stadiums. Previously, use of this nature also required 45 days' notice and followed the same process as auditorium use.

Note that the information above and related process was recently combined with general public/routine use to eliminate lead time, process steps, and wait time. Groups may now schedule facilities online during the general public/routine use submission process, regardless of number of attendees. Note that all reservations are reviewed for size and scope. CUPF adds staff charges such as security, audio-visual technicians, building services, etc. to reservations as necessary to make sure that all events run smoothly. 

Key Differences

Auditorium Use:

  • Must request at least 45 days in advance; however, groups are encouraged to request space/event as far in advance as possible.
  • Special scheduling timeframes throughout the year.
  • $250 application fee due at requesting, balance due upon approval or payment plan can be arranged with CUPF finance department.
  • Unique cancellation and amendment policy.
  • Cancellations for Auditorium use have a tiered fee, with the fee being directly tied how far in advance the cancellation is made.
  • Groups are given the ability to reschedule once within a 30-day period of the event.
Large Event / General Public Use / Routine Use:

  • Must request online at least 7 days in advance; however, it is possible that the reservation may be canceled if staff are not available on short notice.
  • Must adhere to the General Public Use scheduling timeframes.
  • Facility payment due in full at time of reservation; payment for additional staff costs added is due immediately upon notification.

Key Commonalities

  • Both can take place in MCPS facilities.
  • Both require a Certificate of Insurance as described in the Facility Use License Agreement.
  • Both require a CPR and Crowd Management certified individual be on site during use.
  • Both are subject to staff availability at any given school site.
  • Both require user groups to have up to date contact information on their ActiveMONTGOMERY account such as email and phone number since CUPF staff will be in regular contact with the user group(s) throughout the planning and finalization process.
  • Boths must comply with the reservation, User Guidebook, and Facility Use License Agreement.

Thank you!

Thank you for using public facilities for your community events and activities. Please reach out to our team of professionals with any questions you may have. Click here to contact CUPF Customer Care—We Are Here to Help!

Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF)

User Guidebook: School Facilities


This guidebook is a resource outlining what school facilities may be used for, what is expected of community user groups, how to reserve school facilities, and what to expect when using a school facility.  Updates are made as frequently as necessary—please stay informed of changes. The most up-to-date copy of this guidebook including the Facility Use License Agreement (FULA) is attached to each reservation or contract document containing reservations processed by CUPF, and is also available on our website at www.MontgomeryCountyMD.gov/CUPF.

Below are topics that you may select or scroll down to read all related articles in the User Guidebook:

    1. County Residents Have a Voice in Policy Decisions
    2. Customer Care—We Are Here to Help!
    3. ActiveMONTGOMERY Reservation Software
    4. Facilities Availability
    5. Availability Limitations
    6. New Building Construction, Remodels, Additions
    7. NEW - Fee Guide
    8. Facility Fee Assistance Program
    9. Before and After-School Enrichment Activities
    10. Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC)
    11. Supplies, Equipment, and Furnishings
    12. Safety and Security
    13. Building Services
    14. Media Services
    15. Information Technology Services
    16. Kitchen Services
    17. Priority of Use
    18. MCPS Internal Use
    19. Childcare Use
    20. Parent-Teacher Association (PTA/ PTSA) Use
    21. Government Administrative Use
    22. Other Public Supported Program Use
    23. High Volume Use
    24. General Public Use
    25. Payment, Modification, Cancellation, and Refunds
    26. Facility Use License Agreement (FULA) Public School Facilities

County Residents Have a Voice in Policy Decisions

The Montgomery County Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF) is a County Government office that carries out the policies of the Interagency Coordinating Board (ICB) whose primary goal is to facilitate fair and equitable access to public facilities, including schools. 

The Chair of the ICB is a community resident, representing community user groups to ensure that their needs and wishes are brought to the table. The Board is also comprised of County stakeholders including a representative from the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Schools, two Principals, two community residents, the County’s Chief Administrative Officer, among others. Our website has a full list of Board members and more details about the ICB, their meeting schedule, etc.

Rest assured that the Interagency Coordinating Board is listening to our community user groups. We encourage user groups to continue sharing ideas, suggestions, experiences both positive and negative, with the ICB and CUPF staff.

Customer Care—We Are Here to Help!

  • Dedicated team of staff ready to help
  • Direct one-on-one personal support available
  • Available for user group representatives 
  • Available for our partners in schools, libraries, etc.
  • General information and inquiries
  • Assistance with online reservation tools
  • Account management and online payments
    Email
    • cupf@montgomerycountymd.gov 
    • Available 24/7/365 
    • Same business day response
    • Next business day response if after hours
    • Monitored Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. 
    • Not monitored on County holidays
    Call
    • 240-777-2725
    • Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
    • Not available on County holidays

    After Hours Help Line
    • 240-490-CUPF (2873) 
    • Call or Text
    • M-F after 5:00 p.m., Weekends, and Holidays
    • Current day reservation assistance only
    • On-site and locked-out
    • Rooms reserved not available for use upon arrival
    • Security concerns
    • Heat or Air Conditioning issues
    • Equipment failure
    • Other similar situations to the list above
    Visit
      Subscribe
        Thank You
        • Our program is for YOU, our community!
        • We are delighted when groups utilize our public facilities for community events and activities! 


        ___________

        Office of Community Use of Public Facilities
        Montgomery County Government, Maryland
        Phone: 240-777-2725

        ActiveMONTGOMERY Reservation Software

        All users of public facilities must have an account in the ActiveMONTGOMERY reservation database.

        If you are a new user of public facilities, please utilize the resource links below to create an account in www.ActiveMONTGOMERY.org. Here are some available resources:

        Facilities Availability

        Our public facilities are available to community groups comprised of at least two-thirds Montgomery County, Maryland residents. Specific availability of school facilities is accessible online at www.ActiveMONTGOMERY.org; however, general availability for community use activities is as follows:

        •      Year round, weekends and MCPS holidays, 7:30 a.m. to midnight

        •      School year, instructional days, 6:00 a.m. through the start of the academic day

        •      School year, instructional days, after academic day ends through 10:00 p.m.

        •      School year, non-student days and professional days upon conclusion of the staff workday

        •      Spring break

        •      Summer break

        •      Winter break  

        •      New Year’s Eve use may be extended to 12:15 a.m. based upon staff availability and timeliness of request

        Availability Limitations

        •      Weekday use requires a one-hour minimum.

        •      Weekend and Holiday use requires a three-hour minimum.

        •      Artificial Turf Athletic Field use requires a two-hour minimum at all times.

        •      Reservations (indoor and outdoor) must begin and end on either the hour or half-hour. 

        •      Schools may deny use for the first hour after school dismissal, based upon the teacher’s union contract, availability of rooms, and/ or for safety and security purposes.

        •      No permits are issued for use on Thanksgiving Day.

        •      Limited reservations are allowed on MCPS Systemwide Closure dates.

        •      Limited reservations are allowed during week/weekend of Thanksgiving, Spring break, Winter break, and must be scheduled at least 30 days prior to ensure staff coverage is available.

        •      Except for official MCPS partners and Licensed Childcare providers selected by schools, user groups may only reserve the same facility at the same school location up to three weekdays during a week, and one weekend day during a weekend, unless an exception is granted by the Interagency Coordinating Board for Community Use of Public Facilities or the CUPF Director. This is to allow opportunities for all to reserve facilities and ensure that no user group has sole or primary access over others.

        •      Sports teams using Gymnasiums and Athletic Fields are currently limited to a maximum of 2 hours per team per week, Monday through Friday. This is due to high demand of sports facilities countywide.

        •      Summer break: Due to MCPS summer educational programs, maintenance projects, construction projects, and the need for deep cleaning by building services prior to the return of staff and students for the next school year, summer use of schools is limited. Availability for summer use will show online at www.ActiveMONTGOMERY.org no later than May 1, annually. 

        •      At the discretion of the principal, community use on a school campus (indoor and outdoor) may not be allowed when there are MCPS/school student activities scheduled. This is due to safety concerns as well as parking limitations.

        •      See Facility Use License Agreement (FULA) for details on additional limitations.

        New Building Construction, Remodels, Additions

        When a school moves in or out of a building temporarily or permanently, there is typically a grace period restricting community use. The standard time for a moratorium on community use after moving to another facility, new construction or not, or for use of an addition to a building, is approximately 6 to 12 months. However, community use may not begin in a newly constructed facility until such time the Board of Education has signed off on all punch-list items and voted to accept the facility at a public Board meeting.

        Facility Fee Assistance Program

        CUPF administers a Facility Fee Assistance Program (FFAP), a subsidy program that helps groups pay for the use of public schools, libraries or County Office Buildings when they provide community services that directly benefit vulnerable or at-risk youth, or limited income individuals and their families. For more information about the Facility Fee Assistance Program, please visit www.MontgomeryCountyMD.gov/CUPF or contact CUPF at 240-777-2725, or via email to: cupf@montgomerycountymd.gov 

        Before and After-School Enrichment Activities

        Before and after-school enrichment activities in schools (indoor and outdoor) are important.

        Each elementary school has unique needs for arrival/dismissal and different procedures for the safety and well-being of students, based upon their unique campus design and percentage of walkers, car riders, and bus riders which creates the need for specific begin/end times for before and after-school enrichment activities.

        General guidelines surrounding before and after-school enrichment use:
        • Use is considered ‘General Public’ (see Priority VIII Use: High Volume herein this guidebook for more details). This ensures competitive opportunities for vendors to offer programs to MCPS students. 
        • Vendors may reserve classrooms as available online with the understanding that the room number may be changed at the discretion of the school for before and after-school enrichment activities. 
        • Vendors are assigned a room by the school, regardless of what the reservation shows. 
        • Likewise, if the school desires a slight start time adjustment, the group may stay for the same amount of time scheduled but starting at the time in which the school advised based upon their dismissal process.
        • There is no need to notify CUPF of a time change for the before or after-school program. This allows schools and groups reasonable flexibility in order to promote successful before and after-school activities.
        • Reservations may only begin on the hour and half-hour in the scheduling software; however, elementary schools have a variety of times they need before and after-school enrichment activities to begin and end. CUPF supports the necessity of schools having a great deal of flexibility in this regard as noted above.
        • If a before or after-school program has reserved 3:30-4:30 (1 hour) but the school needs the group to be flexible in order to accommodate dismissal of students, groups and schools will need to work together on what exact time the group may enter the room. In the example above, if the school wants the group to begin at 3:45, then the program may run 3:45-4:45 since the group paid for an hour of use.
        • For use of facilities such as Gymnasium, Media Center, All-Purpose Room, or Cafeteria, groups may only use the facility reserved and should not be placed in any other room(s) other than where they are scheduled; however, the beginning and end time guidelines above are applicable.
        • If a school sees a before or after-school activity on the schedule that the school is simply not able to accommodate at all, the school will notify CUPF to cancel the permit. CUPF will advise the vendor and the vendor will notify the parents of students that the school is not able to accommodate the enrichment program. 
        • This flexibility in room assignment and begin/end times ONLY applies to space for before and after-school enrichment activities for students at their home school during the first 60-90 minutes before or after the official school day for students.

        Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC)

        • There is no additional fee for HVAC; it is included and turned on during hours reserved. 
        • Heat temperature set point per MCPS is 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
        • Air Conditioning/Cooling temperature set point per MCPS is 76 degrees Fahrenheit. 
        • Energy curtailment practices during summer months: In order to conserve energy and ensure the lowest possible energy rates, MCPS turns air-conditioning off between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. during summer break. All groups, including community user groups and MCPS-related groups, who choose to use MCPS indoor facilities during this time should prepare accordingly.
        • No air conditioning available in gymnasiums. There are some rare exceptions; however, A/C is not guaranteed even if such is installed.

        Supplies, Equipment, and Furnishings

        • Always prohibited: Use of school supplies such as paper, chalk, erasers, pens/pencils, tape, glue, art supplies, basketballs, soccer balls, footballs, tennis rackets, and similar equipment and are strictly prohibited. These items should be supplied by the user group and or its participants. 
        • The Interagency Coordinating Board and the Office of Community Use of Public Facilities continue to strongly support that whenever possible, schools/public facilities should allow community users access to equipment purchased with taxpayer’s monies such as microphones, projectors, projector screens, volleyball standards and nets, tennis court nets, scoreboards, field sports goals, upright pianos, grand/baby-grand pianos, folding chairs, folding tables, etc. as long as prior arrangements have been made.
        • Use of equipment must be indicated on the reservation request and if approved, shown on the finalized reservation receipt.
        • Computer labs are available for use with the hiring of a User Support Specialist and there is a per hour cost.
        • Internet access is not available to community user groups, per MCPS.
        • Not all schools have the same equipment as others or the same amount of equipment, including the number of folding chairs, folding tables, etc., and user groups are limited to the inventory of each school.
        • Groups may use chalkboards and whiteboards if space is available, but should supply their own chalk and or dry-erase markers. Note that groups should not erase teacher’s notes on classroom boards for any reason. It’s best to bring a portable flip chart, whiteboard, etc.
        • Important note: MCPS allows each individual school to determine which equipment may be used by community user groups. Often, schools do not allow use of the equipment listed herein, so always check with the specific school in advance of making a reservation if you need specific equipment.

        Safety and Security

        Doors to school buildings should remain closed and locked during community use:

        • Schools may require that user groups use the main front door for entry and exit; follow instructions provided by school staff.
        • Schools may keep all doors locked after the first 15 minutes of the reservation time. Suppose a group has persons coming and going during the scheduled reservation hours. In that case, the group must post a representative at the front door of the building to allow participants to enter for the scheduled event or activity. User groups should plan accordingly.

        Crowd Manager Certification: At least one person present at each use should be certified in handling crowd control, having completed online training endorsed by the National Association of State Fire Marshals. Click here for Crowd Manager Certification.


        CPR Certification: At least one person present at each use should have a current CPR certification from a recognized organization, such as the American Heart Association or the Red Cross. Click here for one of the accepted CPR Certification sources.


        Facility walk-through: Walk-through visits and tours of school facilities by CUPF community user groups will not be considered due to concern for the safety and security of MCPS staff and students.


        Security staff and or law enforcement may be required for community use activities:

        • CUPF reserves the right to assign MCPS security staff and or require user groups to hire certified law enforcement officer(s) having jurisdiction in Montgomery County, Maryland, for community use that CUPF and or MCPS determines necessitates such.
        • The cost of such staff is the responsibility of the user group; refer to the fee guide for hourly costs.
        • Some basic criteria used include:
          • nature of the activity,
          • number of rooms being used,
          • type of room(s) being used,
          • number of participants expected,
          • experience with the user’s past activities,
          • whether student activities are scheduled during the time a community group is also scheduled on the campus,
          • traffic concerns in the vicinity of the facility being used.

        The following is a general overview of what a group may expect of security staff when working for community use events and activities:

        • Introduce themselves to the group leaders.
        • Check rooms before and after the group activity.
        • Assist building services staff in unlocking rooms and other doors and areas before use and securing them after use has concluded.
        • At all times, remain with the group in the designated areas, including monitoring activities, parking lot areas, hallways, and corridors that the group is using.
        • Ensure that the terms and conditions of the Facility Use License Agreement (FULA), Conditions of Use, and other guidance or instructions provided to community groups are followed.



        Building Services

        Building services staff are required to be onsite at all times when community use is occurring in any indoor facility or a locked/secured outdoor facility such as a stadium, fenced artificial turf athletic field, or other.


        The following is a general overview of what a group may expect of building services staff when working for community use events and activities:

        • Introduce themselves to community user group leaders.
        • Check rooms before and after the group activity.
        • Unlock rooms and other areas prior to use, securing them when use has concluded.
        • Check in with the group routinely during hours of use and let the group know where they may be working in other areas of the building should the group need assistance.
        • Leave a dry mop available in Gymnasiums for use by community groups since reservations are often back-to-back to ensure facilities are available for use as many hours as possible.
        • Ensure that terms and conditions of the Facility Use License Agreement (FULA), Conditions of Use and other guidance or instructions provided to community groups are followed, calling MCPS Security or CUPF Evening and Weekend Supervisors for assistance.
        • Clean restrooms and hallways as needed during and after reservations.
        • Provide general assistance to groups as may be necessary.

        For general use without food or drink and only one room is reserved and used, additional building services fees are typically not necessary; however, there are exceptions:

        • Groups who want chairs, tables, equipment, etc. to be set up before their arrival time, must notify CUPF when the reservation is made.
        • Large events always require additional staff costs.
        • Activities with food, drink, and equipment breakdown by school staff will incur additional staff costs.
        • CUPF will assess cleanup based on the hours of use, number and scope of rooms used, number of participants, whether food and or drink is served, etc.

        Media Services

        Use of equipment such as stage lighting, the counterweight fly system, sound equipment, video equipment, stage curtains, etc. or whenever access to the auditorium control booth is required, a Media Services Technician (MST) must be present.


        When equipment use is extensive, additional MST time may be required and or a second or third MST may be required. Groups must pay for any additional time or staff required for these services. Refer to the fee guide for hourly costs.


        The following is a general overview of what a group may expect of media services staff when working for community use events and activities:

        • Ensure that necessary equipment is available for use upon arrival of the group.
        • Remain with the group in the space(s) where their services are required.
        • Provide oversight and reasonable assistance to the group related to safe use of all equipment use, props, stage apparatus, etc.
        • Ensure all equipment is in good condition at conclusion of use.
        • Maintain and store all equipment and secure applicable areas as may be necessary prior to departure.

        Information Technology Services

        At times, an Information Technology Support Services worker may be necessary to operate certain media services equipment in auditorium facilities, sound systems in all-purpose rooms, cafeterias, gymnasiums, stadiums, etc. Refer to the fee guide for hourly costs.


        The following is a general overview of what a group may expect of information technology services staff when working for community use events and activities:

        • Ensure that necessary equipment is available for use upon arrival of the group.
        • Remain with the group in the space(s) where their services are required.
        • Provide oversight and reasonable assistance to the group related to safe use of all equipment use.
        • Ensure all equipment is in good condition at conclusion of use.
        • Maintain and store all equipment and secure applicable areas as may be necessary prior to departure.

        Kitchen Services

        Whenever access to the kitchen or use of kitchen equipment, such as oven, steamer, icemaker or refrigerator is requested, kitchen services staff (Cafeteria Worker) is required. Kitchen facilities are not to be used without appropriate food services staff present. Groups needing such facility access must pay the hourly rate for all required kitchen services staff. Refer to the fee guide for hourly costs.


        The following is an overview of what is expected of kitchen services staff (Cafeteria Worker) when working for community use events and activities:

        • Ensure that necessary equipment is available for use upon arrival of the group.
        • Remain with the group in the space(s) where their services are required.
        • Provide oversight and limited assistance to the group related to safe use of equipment.
        • Ensure all equipment is in good condition at conclusion of use.
        • Ensure kitchen and all equipment used is turned off, cleaned, sanitized, secured, and in good condition for food preparation for the next school day prior to departure. MCPS staff providing kitchen services are not available to cook food, warm food, or otherwise help prepare food for serving or distribution.

        Priority of Use

        Per directive of the Montgomery County Interagency Coordinating Board (ICB) priority is given to groups requesting space of School facilities in the following order, when submitted by established deadlines:

        • Primary tenant to include school (K-12) activities or MCPS Central Offices
        • Parent-Teacher Association (PTA/PTSA) meetings and activities in schools
        • Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) licensed before and after school Childcare selected by Montgomery County Public Schools,
        • Government administrative bodies,
        • Other publicly supported programs,
        • High-volume use meeting applicable criteria,
        • General public (via customer e-portal).

        Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)