Why It Matters

CHS POOL IS A VALUABLE RESOURCE TO THE COMMUNITY

Once destroyed, we cannot revisit

  • Lack of High School pools in neighboring towns 

  • Typically a “private school” amenity

  • Locally, only Morristown and Rutherford have pools

 

Opportunity to expand access to entire community

  • YMCA /Private Swim lessons on weekends and off-season

  • Use for community events

  • Adult swim teams / rec swimming / senior citizen classes / water sports programs

WHY IS LEARNING TO SWIM IMPORTANT?

Drowning is preventable

  • 1 of top 3 leading causes of accidental deaths among those younger than 29

  • African Americans are 1.5 times more likely to drown than White Americans

  • This disparity grew between 2005-19

  • 70% of African Americans, 66% of Asian Americans and 60% of Latinos do not know how to swim

  • Formal swimming lessons reduce likelihood of drowning by 88%

  • 1% of swimming athletes are African Americans

Source: CDC and USA Swimming Foundation

SWIMMING IS AN ACCESS AND EQUITY ISSUE

  • The district noted in 2013 that approximately 30% of incoming freshmen did not know how to swim
  • In a 2016 survey conducted by the BOE Student Representative, 60% of the 179 respondents wanted to save the pool
  • In 2021, a CHS student died in a drowning. 

 

Free swimming lessons that are part of the high school curriculum expands Access and Equity

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF SWIMMING

Physical Health Benefits

  • Swimming is a skill that offers athletic/aerobic benefits across the span of life.

Mental Health Benefits

  • “Swimming can improve mood in both men and women.” - CDC

Cognition Benefits

  • “Swimming may confer cognitive health benefits.  This is important since swimming is an accessible form of exercise and has the potential to be beneficial for a wide range of people.”

  • “Swimming-related effects on cerebrovascular and cognitive function” Physiological Reports, Volume 7 (2019) 

History

  • The pool was built in a Collegiate Gothic Style with state of the art structure and equipment including the iconic Guastavino ceiling tiles
  • Very few schools from that period had an indoor pool 
  • The school and its pool was a matter of pride not just for the community but also its builders and architect