Pool PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A new recommendation proposes the pool at Edison Middle School be converted into an auxiliary gymnasium.
According to the report sent to the Board of Education for the Green Bay Area Public School District, the recommendation is “based on instructional needs, utilization data, financial considerations and the operational realities of both academic and co-curricular programs.”
The report cites the following as contributing factors:
- Significant underutilization of the pool
- High operational and pending capital costs
- Clear instructional and co-curricular benefits of additional gym space
- Feasible transition plan for user groups such as Green Bay Swim Club
- A substantially improved student experience across athletics and PE
According to the report, there is low student participation in swimming units, limited instructional time for swimming units, staffing constraints and inefficiency in PE rotations.
“The pool serves a small fraction of students for limited instructional impact, while if the pool were to be replaced with a gym, the additional gym space could serve every student daily with significantly more programmatic flexibility,” it states.
Officials say having additional gym space would help alleviate ongoing co-curricular and scheduling challenges at Edison, including practice bottlenecks and game-hosting limitations.
Additionally, the pool requires significant financial resources, the report says. Its total annual cost is $65,000 between pool operations and maintenance labor, while its revenue last year was just $13,230. If GBAPS were to decommission the pool, it would avoid about $635,000 in mechanical replacement and additional pool equipment.
If the recommendation to turn the pool into a gym receives approval this spring, the project would aim to be completed by fall 2028. A preliminary cost estimate sits at $1.5 million.
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