Several factors led to the Valders Area School District Board closing the pool later this year.
Superintendent Debra Hunt tells Seehafer News there’s a two-prong approach to the closure which includes the referendum to allow the district to exceed the revenue limit by $1.3 million that didn’t pass.
The district needs to cut about $550,000 in costs and the pool costs about $120,000 a year to run.
Hunt says this could also be considered a maintenance shutdown.
“During the referendum that was passed in 2023, which was a facilities referendum, part of that referendum included replacing one of the filters in the pool,” she explained. “There were also some other filters that need to be repaired as well as we want to replace some valves. And we want to clean out the large surge tank as well.”
It would also give the district a chance to see if any damage has happened, which isn’t the case.
The closure will affect community activities, including summer swimming lessons.
Hunt noted, “We will have swim lessons all the way up to June 30th and then they will stop.”
The pool could reopen in early 2025 but won’t be ready by the beginning of the 2024 school year.
Hunt says this was a difficult decision to make for everyone involved but they are trying to do the best they can with what resources they have.