It was an important night for the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District as their board meeting Tuesday night brought to the table many important issues — the main being whether or not they'd approve the construction bid for a new aquatics center at Paso Robles High School
Superintendent Dr. Curt Dubost gave his recommendation for building an aquatic center saying: "I see no other way to build the pool than to do it now."
The pool has been approved since 2016 as a part of the Measure M bond that was supposed to supply funding for it.
“Aquatics has always been the redheaded stepchild," Paso Swim Association Chairperson Gwen Severson said. "It's just always been the sport that gets the last look for some reason and it's a shame.”
The last seven years have brought many hurdles that stalled the project, including more pressing budget needs, changes in district board members and COVID-19.
But now advocates of aquatic sports hoped that the final approval on a construction bid would get the wheels in motion.
“We've met every hurdle to get it approved and for some reason, it keeps getting delayed," Severson said. "Tonight's the decision and I really hope the board does right by that.”
Right now, athletes like Ezra Smeltzer have to use the community pool for swimming and water polo — a facility that parents and athletes believe is unfit and unsafe.
“A lot [of my teammates] complain about how awful the pool is because we constantly have the heater breaking down and we've had cracks and holes in the pool that have kept us from playing games," Smeltzer said. "And it's just really unsafe."
The main opposition? Parents and board members who think the remaining funds from Measure M should be used on the Georgia Brown dual immersion school action plan that was the headline item in Tuesday's meeting.
The decision voted to move kids from the Georgia Brown Dual Immersion school into the Daniel Lewis Middle School and move the 7th and 8th graders from there into the George H. Flamson Middle School. The funds from Measure M will help accommodate that transition. It's just a matter of how much.
But after public comment and reassurance from assistant superintendent Brad Pawlowski, the vote passed 5-2 as the deadline for the bid with Harris Construction expired.
