Public to get use of Shenendehowa Central School’s new pool

The 8-lane pool at Shenendehowaâ€™s new aquatic center will get plenty of use from students and the public.

The Shenendehowa Central School District’s new $9.1 million aquatic center, which opened in September, is offering lap swimming, adult learn-to-swim programs and aqua aerobics fitness classes to the community.

“We would love to have our community come and use the pool,” said Jon Conover, the school district’s community education director. “We are hoping to get the word out there.”

For example, a district resident who wants to swim laps early in the morning or late in the afternoon six days a week pays just $40 and can swim laps from now until April 1. The cost for a non-resident is $50.

“It’s brand new for us,” Conover said about the community programs in the new eight-lane swimming pool, which is attached to the Gowana Middle School on the district’s main campus off Route 146.

The district offers six lanes of lap swimming, six days a week. The district is also offering a seven-week adult learn-to-swim program at the pool for $40 ($50 for non-residents). This program starts Jan. 4 and runs through Feb. 27, meeting three days a week.

Conover said people already are signing up for the programs, especially for the lap swimming and aqua aerobics fitness classes. The winter aqua aerobics starts Jan. 4 and runs through Feb. 27 three times a week for $40 ($50 for non-district residents).

For more information on times, costs and registration, see the district Web site at www.shenet.org.

So far about 50 people have signed up for lap swimming but the numbers grow each week. The lap swimmer signs in, uses the locker room with shower facilities, and does his laps. There are lifeguards on duty at all times.

“It’s very exciting,” Conover said. “The classes are going really well.”

The fall aqua aerobics classes are being taught by Nicol Taylor. A total of 12 people signed up; maximum program enrollment is 30.

“We offer both classes and lap swimming at the same time,” Conover said.

This is possible because the 60-by-119-foot pool has eight lanes, some of which are dedicated to community lap swim and some to aqua aerobics, for example.

“It works out extremely well,” he said. “People are very pleased with it.”

The pool is also used during the day by all middle school students, as well as third-graders and high-schoolers enrolled in specialized elective physical education units.

The pool is also used by the boys’ and girls’ swim and diving teams. Conover said there will be more time for community use of the pool after late February when the swim and diving teams are finished with their seasons.

“Instead of two hours per day there will be four hours per day [for community use],” he said.

Voters in the suburban school district approved the aquatic center proposal in 2004. It was the district’s third attempt in 40 years to secure approval for an indoor pool. It was part of a $37.7 million spending plan that included 11 new classrooms and library improvements at Gowana, a remodeled transportation building and Shatekon Elementary School.

However, construction of the pool was delayed when increasing construction costs pushed the cost of building the bus garage, classrooms and the new school $4 million higher than budgeted.

In March 2006, voters approved spending $3.8 million more for the Shatekon school when bids exceeded the original $15.2 million price tag. In January 2007, district voters approved spending $1.9 million more so that the long-awaited swimming pool could be built.