If you saw this weeks US newspaper, the individual/group (it is not known which because there is no declaration or attribution on the advertisement) advocating the addition of a swimming pool to the School District's building project has changed its approach.
Last week there were bullet items that insinuated agreements and understandings had been made related to use of the facility by outside individuals, organizations, and groups. I emailed this group with questions related to these points but received no answer.
This week the advertisement lists the benefits of swimming. It is hard to argue with the health benefits of swimming, but Nazareth now has the outdoor pool at the Borough Park and the indoor pool at the Nazareth YMCA, not to mention countless privately owned pools. Given the already high costs of the projected buildings coupled with the recently disclosed Act 1 challenges the District will face, it seems an addition that is not critical to education and has alternatives available would be hard to justify.
What do you think? Is the pool needed, or would it simply be nice to have if money were no object?
10 comments:
It would be nice to have if the money was there.
I don't know if the school already has a "work out" room, but it seems that it also is a very healthy addition to a school and a lot less costly. Several treadmills, stationary bikes, weight machines, indoor track, etc???
Priorities! Swimming pool? Artificial turf? Reading comprehension? A computer screen does you no good if you can't READ what's on the screen!!!!
This area will soon be maxed out----homebuilding, warehouses , CVSs, school expansion. We need QUALITY improvement------not quantity.
Yes, you could say a pool will improve quality of life. But for how many and with what availability?
Priorities!!!!
I can definitely see both sides of this issue.
We are in dire need of new facilities in which to teach our kids or else we will start having classes of 30+ kids. With a finite amount of budget, we cannot spend it on the "extras" when we are already lacking the essentials.
However, pointing to the fact that there is a pool at the YMCA, park and idividual homes, you have to keep in mind that not every family has the spare cash to pay for their children to use these facilities or buy a pool, and having one availble in school would be a nice benefit (provided it is free to students outside of the school day) and a great way to spend a gym period.
But, with as many benefits as it might provide, we need to face the fact that our district just cannot afford it at this point.
I do have to wonder though, are the supporters of the pool, that are asking us to shell out a lot of our tax dollars to build, throwing as much support behind the skate park?
The Nazareth YMCA never turns anyone away because of inability to pay. Many family memberships, youth memberships, child care etc. are subsidized by donations and fundraising. The YMCA provides all of the programs mentioned in the ad, which was placed by the Swim Team Booster Club. The YMCA provides all these services without any funding from tax dollars. A community this size is very lucky to have a YMCA
A pool would be nice, no doubt... but is it necessary? One could ask the same question about the football/baseball fields. Are they REALLY necessary? Is anything other than books necessary?
Fact is, Nazareth is the largest district in the area without a pool. The kids today are bussed all over the place for swimming and they have to do it at whatever schedule is conveinent for the other place (usually after/before the other team has had their practice).
So why not? Aren't our taxes going to go up anyway?!
Mention by Dr. Lesky is the future threat of a possible need to cut educational programs, acitivites, and clubs depending on the outcome of the Act 1 vote if need be. A pool seems to a want and not a need. I would like to see a pool if the resources are totally there and not hardship. Look at all the future building plans first and note true expense. NASD has become and is trying to be the best looking school from the outside, Teaching and learning inside the classrooms are what matters most. Priorities!!!Students educational needs vs nasd board approvals to look the best. Looks are only skin deep and a this point we need teachers teaching and student learning to their fullest. Fancy this and that is not needed no matter how nice it looks.
I agree this is a want, not a need. The track and gym are used regularly as a part of the physical education curriculum.
With a pool, there will be ongoing maintenance needs, costs, and insurance that will be an annual expense for a facility that simply won't get the level of use of other school facilities.
Further, to think that outside groups will have free access is a stretch. As one reader pointed out, the weight room is not available to the public and oftentimes you'll find the tennis courts are (or were I don't know if this changed) padlocked so you couldn't access them.
When you consider insurance, lifeguards, training, maintenance, and management of the facility and scheduling, outside groups may not be able to afford using the pool unless the school waives fees and absorbs the cost passing it along to the taxpayer.
I think the YMCA is not an ideal solution for the swim team, but it is a workable solution considering the cost-benefit of building one and maintaining it by NASD.
I'll also point out we don't have a baseball field...
And, I haven't seen the townships building any pools for their residents, everyone relies on the Borough and School to provide services.
Have a great weekend and thanks for participating!
Do we need more than Books? Yes.
However......Is "back to basics" obsolete? If you can't read the basic printed words on your computer screen , directions for installing the computer, the information in your diver ed. book, the contract for buying a $400,000 home,.........you are LOST.
The YMCA offered the swim team the full use of the pool early in the morning before school, but the coach prefers an after school program. The Y couldn't provide the whole pool to the swim team from 3:30 PM to 5:00 Pm because thier after school swim program and YMCA members use the pool at that time. A 5% debt service on a $5,000,000 pool would be $250,000 per year, which doesn't include maintenance heating, chemicals, etc. needed to upkeep a pool and natatorium. I am sure the District could pay the same thing they pay Wilson to rent their pool and find a new coach who would be willing to have a morning practice for a lot less than $250,000.
I Don't understand why NASD hasn't planned in past years to put a pool in. Now when we are having to build more schools because we can't keep up with the development in the area and the teachers contract still isn't settled why we would even be considering a pool at this time. Maybe if the zoning boards would have had the big developers building all these homes pay a fee upfront to the school for each home they built and sold we could consider a pool, but as it stands now even with the current building plan the school has now is it going to be enough with all the development that is still going on. Every year our taxes go up but our wages are stagnating because of the cost of health insurance people are paying for weekly out of their earnings and they go up every year along with our school taxes. There are alot of expenses with a school pool..chemicals, bathing suits, swimming caps, towels, laundering these items ect..and if you have outside groups come in you need life guards. Maybe if our district wasn't it the state it is in I would be for a pool but I really think it is a luxury and not a neccesity at this time.
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