March 14, 2010

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Lindbergh Pool Community Meeting
District to Hold Second Community Meeting on Future of Lindbergh Pool March 16

The Renton School District continues to look for funding to bring the responsibility of maintaining the pool at Lindbergh High School into next year’s budget responsibilities.

With an impressive pro-pool crowd appearing at the Lindbergh district budget community meeting last month, the district has scheduled another community meeting to talk specifically about the Lindbergh pool on Tuesday, March 16, 6:30 p.m. at the Lindbergh High School cafeteria.

Even though the pool is located at Lindbergh High, it was the property of King County until the Benson Cascade neighborhood annexed into the City of Renton in Feb. 2008. When the ownership was tranferred, King County included enough funds to operate the pool through 2010.

It will cost the district $476,700 to operate the pool this school year. Pool fees and rentals bring in about $301, 700, or 63 percent of the operating budget. Finding an additional $175,000 to operate the pool will be difficult for the district as it faces additional cuts from the state.

Varied Interests in Pool Makes Pool a Valuable Resource
Coral Keller has used the Lindbergh Pool for the past 13 years and has a deep concern that the closure would be devasting to a variety of users.

"Our involvement has been a long one with the pool.  We see it as a  very vital component of our community at large and a critical necessity for the Kentridge and Lindbergh boys and girls swim and water polo teams.  Without the pool the teams would have to fight for space at either Hazen Pool or Kent Meridian Pool.  Practice times could end up being late in the evening and therefore some students would be unable to participate. 

"Swimming is a lifelong sport unlike many others, many of the participants at Lindbergh are older master swimmers, or those needing swim therapy to help with their joint problems.  Lindbergh also hosts a synchronized swim team, Special Olympic swimmers, and many others. 

"We cannot stress enough how important this pool is to our community and finding a funding solution to cover the initial $175,000 budget gap is crucial, secondary is finding a continuing funding source to maintain the pool and replace and upgrade the roof, boiler, and possibly expand it to have an actual therapy pool area," said Keller.

Options Being Considered
While the district is considering reducing overhead costs to manage the pool, raising fees and possibly finding a creditable outside organization to take over the responsibility to manage the pool.

State Cuts Directly Affect Specific Programs
The state Legislature is working on a state budget deficient that is projected at $2.6 billion, which will mean deep cuts to the Renton School District education including:

• Cut preschool for 3-year-olds in low income areas
• Increase class sizes in kindergarten through fourth grade
• Cut gifted education (Discovery program in the RSD)
• Suspend all-day kindergarten
• more
  

While no decisions have been made, Renton School District has said that their budget priorities are to first provide education for its nearly 14,500 students. The Legislature had planned a March 11 date for release of its budget.

Preliminary Feedback From Online Survey
More than 1,100 respondents offered their input on priorities for next year’s budget through the Renton School District’s recent online survey. Below are some pf the findings from that input that the District said they will use in preparation of next year’s budget.

Most important elements for continued student achievement:

• Keep lower-class size in K-5
  
• Do not compromise safety/security
  
• Keep teacher’s time focused on classroom learning
  
• Allow continued teacher planning/preparation time
  
• Maintain low class size in middle and high schools
  
• Maintain staffing for students in need of additional help
  
• Keep school buses for elementary students
  

Greatest concerns in comment section:

• Keep Discovery program (the district’s gifted education program)
• Maintain programs for struggling students
  

Greatest request to add to the budget:
Swimming pool at Lindbergh High