SUHSD Aquatics Facilities Upgrade Request

"Every High School with a Pool"

We the undersigned teachers, staff, parents, students, and community members believe that all public high schools in our community should have their own aquatics facility. We would like the newly-elected SUHSD school board to order the investigation of every financing and partnership option available in order for this dream to become a reality.

Rationale:

1) Drowning Prevention

2) PE alternative/elective/unit

3) Support of site Aquatics programs = 3 sports/site

4) After-school programs access

5) Cross-training for all student-athletes

6) Community-at large Program Support

7) Career Training

8) Employment opportunities

Possible Partnerships:

1) City Governments

2) County Government

3) YMCA

4) Team USA- Olympics

5) Commercial Vendors/Donors

6) Federal Grant/Bond

7) SWC, CSU, UC systems

Facts:

1) Every high school in East County San Diego has their own pool.

2) Every high school in North County San Diego has their own pool.

3) Every high school in Orange and LA Counties has their own pool.

4) Every high school in City of San Diego will soon have a pool thanks to voters approving proposition Z in 2012.

5) Las Palmas Pool, National City: newest public pool in South Bay San Diego is now closed. Neither city government nor YMCA could agree on how to pay for its upkeep.

6) Parkway and Loma Verde Pools, Chula Vista: owned/operated by City of Chula Vista, support community swim lessons, recreational swim, various club teams, and 3-4 SUHSD site aquatics programs 3 teams =12 teams total per pool year round. Both facilities are in dire need of repair/upgrades having had none in recent memory. City is now raising price per hour. Only two public pools in entire city of Chula Vista. Chula Vista is a city of 250,000+ residents, currently ranked as 15th largest in the state of CA.

7) Vista Terrace Public pool, San Ysidro, owned/operated by City of San Diego Parks and Recreation, extremely small, no upgrades/renovations in recent memory, community swim lessons, recreational swim, city swim and polo teams, and 2 high school aquatics programs* 3= 6 teams year round.

8) Mar Vista High Public pool: owned and operated by SUHSD. Currently only high school witha pool. Facility y supports community swim lessons, rec swim, community swim and polo teams, site aquatics programs, and shares facility with additional aquatics program(SOH) = 3 more teams year round.

9) SWC pool: owned and operated by SWC. Currently supports all SWC aquatics classes and teams AND shares with community club swim teams, swim lessons, rec swim, AND 2 additional high school aquatics programs. SWC is still the the process of deciding about their timeline - they are building a new wellness complex on that dirt lot on the corner of Otay Lakes/H that will have 2 Olympic size pools and then also building a new Math and Science center that will go where the existing pools are. These are both with Prop R $. They recently had been discussing moving up the timeline of Math and Science to have it built at the same time as the new pool - leading to the closure in February 2016 est.

10) YMCA South Bay and YMCA Borderview pools: Currently support only member programs and teams. Rental cost/hr is not feasible year-round for outside clubs or HS teams.

Our Children and Communities are being shortchanged and endangered by this egregious lack of planning and foresight in South Bay San Diego. We, the undersigned, congratulate the recently- elected School Board on their successful campaigns. We encourage you to have the courage to draft an initiative to form a partnership/committee to resolve this issue. Thank you for all you are currently doing and will continue to do for our collective benefit.