The pool at Britton Middle School has reached the end of its
useful life and will have to be demolished, either before school
starts Aug. 26 or in November.
Although the Mt. Madonna YMCA and various aquatic organizations would like to save it, the pool at Britton Middle School has reached the end of its useful life and will have to be demolished, either before school starts Aug. 26 or in November.
School Board trustees have been aware for months that not only was the pool in need of work but that to close it would save the district money. They agreed, however, that the YMCA, which runs a summer youth program, would need more warning in order to relocate, so they agreed to keep it open through the summer.
In a status report during their last meeting, trustees considered four options.
The first option is to leave the pool open for the upcoming school year. This would cost the district between $6,000 and $8,000 per month, not including the costs to bring the pool to a safe condition as required by the county Health Department.
Short-term repair work required includes installing two additional ladders in the big pool; plumbing and wiring work in the equipment room; bolting all ladders to the deck; painting “No Diving” signs on both decks; and painting depth markers on the deck and inside gutters of the big pool.
Cost estimates for this work would be obtained if this option was chosen.
The second option is to close the pool permanently when school starts. If the pool is not demolished and filled in, it must remain filled with water and operational, otherwise it is considered an “attractive nuisance” by the district’s insurance carrier. Demolition costs are estimated at $93,623.
Option three is to close the pool permanently at the end of November. The Morgan Hill Swim Club has offered to pay the district $1,000 per week up to $12,000 to cover the cost of operation. The district, however, is short on maintenance and custodial staff due to layoffs. Another issue is the weather, which could delay the start of demolition.
Option four is to demolish the pool and build another one. The district does not currently have the money to do this without outside funding.
Trustees will discuss the pool again during the Aug. 11 meeting.
