April 12 — Progress in the deep end

The Sumner pool is open and running but its future is in question

Andrew Hosford / of The Herald

The Sumner pool is still up and running but age, a lack of funding and a need for constant maintenance are taking its toll.

“I don’t really know what’s going on over there,” said Steve Allsop, a city councilmember.

Open swims, lessons, day camps and multiple high school sporting events rely on the antiquated pool.

Allsop said that during a recent visit more than 100 people were enjoying the open swim.

He added that as a community member he “just wants to find out what the deal is.

“It seems the pool is in need of some significant repairs,” he added.

Despite its age, it was built in 1958, the pool remains open 17 hours a day, six days a week.

That one day off though, Sunday, can take a toll on the old boiler and without being reset the water may not be warmed by Monday.

If it is not warm, the pool is closed for the day.

“There are no plans to upgrade,” said pool supervisor Becky Giles. “It would take a lot.”

Giles, also the Director of the Sumner/Bonney Lake Recreation Department, said the pool is running at full capacity and the school district is doing a good job of taking care of it.

The day-to-day funding for the pool currently comes from the district’s general fund that covers the basic needs for all of the schools, said Ann Cook, the district spokeswoman.

In the last fiscal year, the pool cost the district more than $130,000.

While it is clear the schools are an educational asset, Cook said, the pool is not.

“If there were to be a major mechanical failure, the pool would close,” she said.

Over the last couple years the showers have been re-tiled and basic painting and maintenance has been done.

The cost to completely renovate would be around $4.7 million, Cook said, and the district cannot afford that type of loss.

In addition, the building that houses the pool is considered classroom space.

State funding depends on a ratio of students per space available so even if Sumner High School is overcrowded it may not show up on paper because of the extra square footage, Cook said.

“Clearly, we are not having a math class in that space,” she added.

The district has been searching for a partnership with the city, or some other entity, for quite some time with little interest, Cook said.

It is one of the few options the district has for possible funding.

“We welcome any conversation on partnership,” she said.

The school board recommended the district not pursue the project until other bond issues are resolved. The loss is too great, Cook said.

The pool is part of a long-range facility plan that addresses the large-scale projects the district needs to resolve.

“It’s about big ticket items,” Cook said. “Things like plumbing, infrastructure and lighting.”

To this point, none of the long-range facility projects are completed and the pool is still far down the list.

Projects from that plan are prioritized and a portion becomes part of a bond package like the one going to vote on May 15.

As of now, though, the pool will remain as is and more decisions will be made once the new superintendent is sworn in and the other projects are completed.

“My interest is not in who is responsible,” Allsop said. “But if it went away it would be a big loss.”