School's Pool Safety Questioned

Charter Oak swim coach Howard Hyde is hoping the latest word from the National Association of Sport Officials doesn’t pan out. Hyde said the association informed all high school swim coaches that they are considering a new rule stating any pool below four feet in any area would be labeled unsafe for diving.

Such ruling would deem Charter Oak’s nearly 50-year-old pool unsafe for any officiated swim meet. The pool ranges from 3 ½ feet to 5 ½ feet deep, and if the association does pass the regulation, the school’s swimmers would have to start each race at a “standing start” in the pool or find another pool to swim in.

But the Charter Oak swimming pool currently passes under CIF standards, and the association’s latest consideration has not been made official.

Still, Hyde believes it’s just a matter of time before swimmers will be no longer able to compete in the aging pool.

Throughout the 20 years Hyde has been with Charter Oak, the pool’s depth has been an ongoing issue with referees.

“Safety is the most important thing,” said Hyde. “At this point, the pool is OK under current standards, but who is to say the referees are not going to change it or reinterpret the regulations?”

The aquatic center at Charter Oak has been the subject of controversy as parents of swimmers and water polo athletes say the pools have been neglected for far too long.

Built in 1964, the diving pool where the water polo team practices is not under CIF regulation. Both pools show visible signs of deterioration such as cracked and missing tiles.

“This is not just a CIF issue, this is a day to day issue,” said Charter Oak parent and, Mitch Stein. “There are general maintenance problems that haven’t been dealt with. There are rusty pipes on the pool deck and missing tiles. You don’t need a general bond to take care of those items.”

Parents have been actively, pushing to keep the renovation of the aquatic centers at the forefront of the district’s priority list at .

District officials have said that they have been aware of the aquatic center’s deteriorating state, but with scarce funds and limitations on how to apply the dollars, the pools’ renovation has not been implemented.

“The pools at Charter Oak High School are safe,” insisted School Board member Joe Probst in October. “If they were not safe, we would close them. The pools are old and tired… To replace the two pools has been informally estimated to cost between $2.5 million to $5 million depending upon how the pools are built and what equipment is desired.”

Probst said district officials have consulted with engineers on possible renovations and upgrades for the pools. Probst said the aquatic center would be a “significant topic of discussion” as the district determined its priorities in its master plan for future facilities. The district is also considering putting another general obligation bond before voters to fund future projects.

“At some point we need a new pool or make major renovations to it,” said Hyde. “Our students do a good job and they work so hard. They deserve a good facility.”