A single mid-sized pool with 14 swim lanes, plus supporting machinery and facilities, could accommodate the district’s needs and would cost about $11 million to build, according to a study by Aquatic Design Group, a Carlsbad-based firm.
The study represents only any early stage of research. The district hasn’t formally incorporated aquatics into its facilities master plans, let alone decided whether to build one or more pools, their location or size or how to pay for them.
Funding sources could include: existing dollars, depending on where the board might prioritize aquatics in its existing slate of capital projects; a new bond measure succeeding Proposition AA, which voters approved in 2012 for $449 million and which has been 80% expended or contracted; $30 million pending from the state government; parent and community fundraising; joint use partnerships, such as with a nonprofit or municipal government.
“There are no district pools to support our aquatic programs or to teach aquatic [physical education],” according to the San Dieguito Pool Feasibility Committee, a volunteer advocacy group. “The construction of pools was not included in the Prop AA plans.”
“Since 2014 parents have expressed the importance of pools for schools,” resident Virginia Kofler told the school board last week. High school swim, dive and water polo teams currently practice and play games elsewhere — including at Carlsbad’s municipal Alga Norte Aquatic Center, the Solana Beach Boys and Girls Club, the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA in Encinitas, Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, and UCSD’s Canyonview Aquatics Center.
The San Dieguito High School District includes five middle schools and five high schools, serving some 13,000 students from Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe.
Certain other regional public and private schools have pools.
After capital costs, if the school board were to decide a new facility should run as a full-day, fully staffed community pool, the facility would cost about $500,000 annually to operate, net of rents generated from non-school users.
Operating costs would include lifeguards and a front desk receptionist, heating and utilities, chemicals, maintenance, etc.
If the board were to decide to limit a new facility to high school use, with coaches and physical education teachers obviating the need for dedicated staff, annual operating costs would come to about $200,000.
The San Dieguito Pool Feasibility Committee wants “at least two district pools, one in the north of the district, one in the south,” according to its web site.
Though the pool development study assumes only one pool located at La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, the district’s northernmost high school.
