SPOKANE, Wash. – Another of Spokane Together’s nearly 200 projects is a planned renovation of the Spokane Community College’s defunct Aquatic Center.
The pool closed in 2020, but Spokane Public Schools (SPS) says if the together Spokane bond and levy passes, the renovated pool would allow SPS to offer swimming lessons to all second graders in the SPS system.
Alice Busch, a therapeutic recreational specialist, spends much of her time at the pool working with individuals with disabilities.
She shared an experience, saying, “There was a kiddo who that wouldn’t get in the water, and he spent the first week doing laps around the pool.”
Busch explained the importance of water safety, especially for children with autism.
“Drowning is very prevalent for kids with Autism,” Busch said. “They’re very attracted to the water.”
Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Adam Swinyard emphasized the need for swimming lessons to prevent drowning incidents.
“No family in Spokane should ever feel the impact of a child that’s drowned,” Swinyard said.
Swinyard explained that building a new facility could cost as much as $80 million, while renovations would only cost $5 million.
Once renovated, the pool would be open to the public year-round.
