OCEANSIDE — The City Council agreed on March 13 to raise fees and add more participant slots for its regionally popular junior lifeguard program.
The Oceanside Junior Lifeguard Program, run by the Oceanside Fire Department’s Lifeguard Division, teaches youth between the ages of 9 and 17 about beach and ocean safety over the summer.
The increasingly popular program has sold out in less than two days each of the last three years, accommodating 800 children annually, including 528 Oceanside residents and 272 residents from neighboring communities, including Fallbrook, Vista and San Marcos.
Previously, the fees were $330 for residents and $350 for non-residents. Families with a second child in the program get a $20 fee discount.
Following the council’s approval, fees have increased to $400 for Oceanside residents and $420 for non-residents. Additionally, the program added 40 more slots, now allowing up to 554 Oceanside residents and 286 non-residents.
According to staff, the bump in fees and participation will help the program recover costs that have grown over the last several years. The last time the program’s fees were raised was in 2019, when expenditures were $264,985 annually; now, those costs have risen 21.4% to $321,723.
The city offers scholarships for its junior lifeguard program to help those who otherwise couldn’t afford to join. Scholarships are income-based and stand as follows: $150 for one child, $200 for two children, $250 for three children and $300 for four children in the program.
Participants must be able to pass a swim test, which could be another barrier for some families.
“Parks and Recreation has a great program to help kids get ready for the swim test,” said Junior Lifeguard Coordinator Lola Swank. “It’s a very passable test compared to other junior lifeguard programs in the state.”
Deputy Mayor Ryan Keim, whose daughter was in the junior lifeguard program, suggested staff explore lowering the Oceanside resident fee, raising the non-resident fee, and giving Oceanside residents priority.
Keim praised Swank and other lifeguard staff for the success of Oceanside’s junior lifeguard program, which has become so popular that families from nearby coastal cities send their kids to Oceanside.
“We’re known throughout San Diego County for probably the best junior lifeguard program and a lot of that is because of your hard work,” Keim said.
Registration for the junior lifeguard program opens on April 1. To register, visit the Oceanside Fire Department’s website.
