Update on Meeting With Mr. Danosky - Re:High School Pool

As you know, one of the many potential budget cuts that our school faces next fiscal year is the closure of the high school pool.

Since it was noted in the board of education budget line items a few months ago, Lisa Lambert has taken the lead for PAC in terms of information distribution and communication. She has been in touch with Mr. Danosky on several occasions and, along with our coaches, has conducted research on our behalf concerning the estimated expense of the pool operation.

In response to Lisa’s passionate persistence, Mr. Danosky was kind enough to spend about two hours with the PAC Board of Directors on Tuesday evening. He provided an insightful background of the situation and shared the entire budget process with us – including the estimated cost savings if the high school pool was closed.
Following Mr. Danosky’s presentation, a very healthy discussion continued with our board members. Without getting into all the budget line items and small details, here is a brief recap:

What we know:
- That swimming is not being singled out by the board of education. The operation of the pool is just another line item that can help decrease our budget shortfall.
- Mr. Danosky and the board of education are very open to suggestions regarding the closing of the pool. If the expenses can be significantly reduced, they are open to not closing it.
- Firm numbers have not been established on the operational expense, they are working on estimates from previous years.
- If the pool closes, the high school swim teams will have a priority on swim times at the Pathfinder pool.

What we don’t know:
- Our school operational budget for the next fiscal year – as it could change when the state sets the dollar amount per pupil.
- If we can reduce expenses to an amount that would keep the pool open.
- The exact operational expenses related to the pool in terms of heating and energy usage.

During our discussion, Mr. Danosky asked us for suggestions. There were several, but two stood out that could create a noteworthy impact. One was a suggestion that a pool cover that could save energy when the pool was not in use. Another was to keep the pool “dormant” – not closed – immediately after the swim teams finish the season. These are a few suggestions that could save some significant dollars.

One other suggestion was to hire a pool engineer/consultant to get an accurate measurement of the exact energy expenses of the pool. Our coaches are contacting a consultant who is very familiar with this type of project. If the price is fair, Mr. Danosky has agreed to hire a consultant to insure accuracy of the budget numbers presented.

Also in attendance was Tedd Bradley, the Director of the Community Education program. If the pool were to close, he indicated that his organization would do their best to schedule swim times and accommodate all the pool users to the best of his ability.

As you know, we have very limited control of the situation. One thing we can control is our interest and passion in the PAC program. We pledge to keep you updated on any information that we receive and we will post it here.

We also ask for any suggestions that you may have. You can post them here or contact any of the PAC board members or coaches.

Thanks again for your participation in our program!