Don't cut swim classes at Garfield Pool

We love Garfield Pool and the caring teachers there. We also think pools should be open on Sundays -- half of most people's free time! But don't cut classes, especially not on Saturdays. Again, that's the only day many working parents can go. So many families try to get in to these swim classes; please don't cut the few that still exist. Thank you.

1 year ago Featured

I hate to be be one to complain about convenience but this is our local pool only a block from our home where my two children take lessons as well as two other kids on our block. Having to drive to another location would be a real burden for us. Additionally the instructors are stellar and my children hav built incredible trust with the kids and parents.

ugh- stop cutting aquatics- they are some of the most in-demand programs SFPRD has!

Do not cut classes at Garfield Pool. Garfield is a sanctuary and an invaluable resource for the health and well-being of Mission District families. Speaking personally, Garfield is our family’s second home!! I attend adult classes on Friday and swim regularly with my daughter on Saturday. We are often there for family swim with my sister, niece, nephew and four or five friends. Our kids know and love the staff. My daughter is now swimming with the Garfield Gators BECAUSE the pool is easy to get to and we swim on the weekend and she trusts the teachers and coaches so much. She has her eyes set on junior lifeguard training next and there is no way we would have come so far without the opportunity to swim frequently under the care of such motivated and community focused staff. Please - let families keep swimming and growing at Garfield. Keep our Friday and Saturday hours as they are.

Ridiculous to close on a Saturday! Please keep the pool open!

The fact that none of San Francisco's public pools are open throughout the weekend when families are most available to use them (let alone seven days a week) is already a tremendous waste of these crucial city resources. Cutting a third of all swimming lessons offered at Garfield Pool is unconscionable, especially when drowning has been on the rise nationally since 2020 (up from 4,000 to over 4,500 deaths per year), and a lack of swimming ability tracks with socioeconomic and racial disparities. According to CA Senate Bill 1010 on Drowning Prevention (2023-2024): "Drowning is a leading cause of death and hospitalizations for California children 1 to 4 years of age, the second leading cause of death for children 5 to 14 years of age, and the third leading cause of death for teens and youth 15 to 24 years of age. National and international research shows that water safety and swimming skills are more than 88 percent effective in preventing drowning. A critical step in the statewide strategic plan to make drowning a rare and survivable event is to increase access to swim lessons toward the goal of making everyone in California a swimmer and knowledgeable about drowning, drowning prevention, and water safety." It is a local public health imperative to enable all San Franciscans to become safe swimmers and enjoy the health and community benefits of swimming. SFRPD and DPH should be working to maximize public pool open hours seven days a week and greatly increase opportunities for affordable swimming instruction.

Access to swim classes is so expensive. Please don't take away this affordable option. What happened to the support for the middle class?

1 year ago Featured

I’m very disappointed by this decision. I’d intended to register my 14 month old for these Saturday swim classes. She loves the pool and I was excited to get more connected in my neighborhood. Please consider not cancelling these classes.

This is my local pool -- please open it more on weekends when I can go with my kids, not less.

The pool and swim classes there seem to be popular and in high demand.

Garfield pool should be open 7 days a week, especially during the summer. Swimming lessons should be offered to families when they are available, which is often on Saturdays. Please keep Garfield Pool open!

Please keep the pool open and expand the hours! Children need to learn to swim for their safety and this pool serves a historically disadvantaged population.

Limiting lessons for kids at a pool in the Mission just seems politically callous. Really? In the Mission??? Because we are less powerful in this neighborhood??? Or is there a legitimate reason?

We love swim classes at Garfield Pool!

The Garfield pool is an amazing aquatic center and gathering point for many of our community friends and neighbors on the weekends. The staff there have developed such a strong relationship with the young swimmers it would be devastating to see that broken apart by a schedule change. Please reconsider cancelling the Friday and Saturday classes. Those classes are vital to aspiring and seasoned swimmers alike as they provide working families with access to affordable and top quality swimming lessons on non week days and make it convenient for working families to attend. We are so grateful to have effortless access to such a beautiful pool in our neighborhood. Please don’t take that away from our community by reducing our weekend access.

There is surely demand at this pool. I’ve been waitlisted for my kids for years at Garfield and this is the pool closest to my home.