All public school buildings, facilities, and grounds shall be available for general recreational purposes and for public and community use whenever these activities do not interfere with the normal and usual activities of the school and its pupils as provided by law. This general rule shall be carried out within the policy of the department of education that no available public school building, facility, or grounds shall be denied for use by the public and community on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability. The department of education shall not assist any public or community group which discriminates on the basis of sex by making available for use public school buildings, facilities, and grounds, except for groups specifically exempted by the provisions of 20 U.S.C. 1691, 1682 (Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972), or exempted by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

(a) All public school buildings, facilities, and grounds shall be available for general recreational purposes, and for public and community use, whenever these activities do not interfere with the normal and usual activities of the school and its pupils. Any other law to the contrary notwithstanding, the department shall adopt rules under chapter 91 as are deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of this section and may issue licenses, revocable permits, concessions, or rights of entry to school buildings and grounds for such periods of use as deemed appropriate by the department. All such dispositions, including those in excess of fourteen days, need not be approved by the board of land and natural resources; provided that approval by the board of land and natural resources shall be required when the dispositions are for periods in excess of a year. The department may assess and collect fees and charges from the users of school buildings, facilities, grounds, and equipment, which include fees and charges assessed and collected by the department for parking on roadways and in parking areas under the jurisdiction of the department, pursuant to section 302A-1151.6. The fees and charges shall be deposited into a separate fund and expended by the department under rules as may be adopted by the board; provided that any parking fees assessed and collected by a school shall be deposited to the credit of that school's nonappropriated local school fund account.

(b) A separate subaccount of the fund established pursuant to subsection (a), to be known as the school facilities subaccount, shall be established for all proceeds from the leases, permits, interest income generated from public school lands, and other revenue generated from the non-permanent disposition of public school lands, including facilities, pursuant to section 302A-1151.1 The subaccount shall be governed by section 302A-1151.2.

Any person who enters school grounds for the purpose of using the school’s grounds, facilities, or equipment for recreational purposes, and who is not a student or member of the faculty or administration of that school, is deemed to assume the risk of liability for any injuries or death resulting from the use of the grounds, facilities, or equipment. This assumption of risk shall not apply if:

• (1) The person is an invitee or licensee to whom a duty of care is owed by the school; provided that the person has received prior written authorization from the school principal or other responsible person to use the school’s grounds, facilities, or equipment; or
• (2) The injuries or death were caused by wilful or wanton misconduct, including but not limited to the wilful or malicious failure to guard or warn against a dangerous condition, use, or structure which was knowingly created or perpetuated, and wilful or malicious failure to guard or warn against a dangerous activity which was knowingly perpetuated.

The department may enter into agreements and contracts with individuals, organizations, or agencies for the use of public school buildings, facilities, and grounds for the operation of after-school child care programs. The board shall issue such rules as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

To provide increased opportunity for the people of Hawaii, the department shall establish and regulate a program of adult and community education of less than college grade. The department shall provide public school buildings and other facilities, and use public school equipment under conditions determined by the department, when the equipment is needed, for adult and community education programs.

Standard of Practice describes the process for handling requests to use school buildings, facilities, and grounds.

Site provides information on the community use of school facilities.