The school board has not revealed what will replace the four-lane pool, which underwent some repairs just three years ago, but confirmed it will no longer be used after this current school year.
Board Member Beth Daugherty, a member of the Finance, Facilities and Technology Committee, said via email:
A few
years ago we made repairs to the supports for the pool deck and the steel supports
for the walls and overall structure of the space. These repairs were necessary
for the space to be used for any purpose, pool or otherwise. The
integrity of the pool itself is reaching its limit and the pool cannot remain viable
without major repairs.
Therefore, this is the last school year that the CHS pool will be operational. In 2013, full renovation of the pool was estimated at $4.9 million. In order to meet growing enrollment demands, the Board decided to repurpose the space to provide additional and flexible instructional space. The estimate for conversion was $5.9 million. Detailed planning for converting the pool space was put on hold in order to benefit from insights from the Middle States Accreditation process.
This planning process is now resuming. The cost estimates to fully renovate the pool vs repurpose the space are from 2013 so it's probable that cost estimates will change. I believe it was 2013-14 that the pool was closed due to the unforeseen structural repairs that had to be done to the steel columns to support the walls and overall structure
Therefore, this is the last school year that the CHS pool will be operational. In 2013, full renovation of the pool was estimated at $4.9 million. In order to meet growing enrollment demands, the Board decided to repurpose the space to provide additional and flexible instructional space. The estimate for conversion was $5.9 million. Detailed planning for converting the pool space was put on hold in order to benefit from insights from the Middle States Accreditation process.
This planning process is now resuming. The cost estimates to fully renovate the pool vs repurpose the space are from 2013 so it's probable that cost estimates will change. I believe it was 2013-14 that the pool was closed due to the unforeseen structural repairs that had to be done to the steel columns to support the walls and overall structure
In 2013, the board considered a major renovation of the pool that could have topped $8 million, but voted against it, opting instead to do minor repairs.
But with a need for expanded classrooms or other academic space, the district plans to close the pool and use the space for other needs.
While nothing has been decided, a proposal in 2013 offered two options that would have had the existing space turned into classrooms or work stations.
See those images below:
The shut down comes just weeks after the CHS girls swim team achieved an undefeated 14-0 record and made it to the second round of the state tournament before losing.
Without a home pool, the swim teams would have to lease space at another facility and swim classes during physical education would likely be discontinued.
Coach Maggie Keenan said she had not heard about the plans to close the pool, and declined comment.
3 comments:
Let me see if I have this straight: We need the pool space for "additional and flexible instructional space" even as we need to eliminate ten teachers.
And we need to spend at least $1MM more on this than we would on fixing the pool?
I know the blithering idiots who were on the school board in 2013--some of whom still pollute it--voted not to make a net positive investment in the community (and several wore that as a badge of honor until the last election finally got their sorry asses out), but the depths of their insanity abides.
Ken, it's an interesting contrast. Two years ago the Board decided that a new pool facility, despite the potential to serve the overall community year-round, was too large an expense. I concluded it was the right choice at the time, within the process they seemed to work under--and yearly budget overruns were the more urgent issue.
At the same time, our municipalities sell assets at under value, and use formulaic residential housing models pedaled by developers to add...on-the-fly estimate...1000 units to SOMA in the past few years. Now we see staffing increases in the Township's offices and police departments, and a bubble of student population working its way through the system.
And now it appears no one will have a pool, never mind a new one of value to the general population. At a high level, it seems to me that we are are supplying more students with a poorer experience, while our overall expenses as a community increase nonetheless.
There are many opportunities to operate in a more coordinated fashion.
I find it ironic that the Township will spend $700K for a parking lot but we won't spend the money to update what is a community asset. As usual, the kids lose. Not right.
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