New pool construction underway

Andrew Wainer

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- With demolition of the old pool at Huntington Beach

High School having begun to clear the way for a new aquatics complex,

some are concerned there won’t be enough money to finish the project.

“The earth has indeed moved,” Take the Plunge campaign member Sylvia

Garrett said at a groundbreaking ceremony last week. “We are committed to

having children swim in the pool by November.”

But district officials said although they are working hard to come up

with the funding needed to complete the project, the November goal is

unrealistic.

“I don’t see where the money will come from in such a short time,” said

Patricia Koch, the Huntington Beach Union High School District’s

assistant superintendent for business.

Although she said the district is doing “everything it can” to get the $1

million more that it needs to fund the complex, she didn’t cite any

leads.

Members of the Huntington Beach Foundation and the Take the Plunge

campaign said the district has let them down in the construction of the

complex, which will cost a total of $1.5 million.

“We need the school district and the city to come up with the rest of the

funds,” foundation member Dan Hay said. “We don’t want any more new

committees or delays. Our message is very clear.”

The Take the Plunge campaign has raised more than $600,000 so far for the

new aquatics complex, part of which came from state funds. The group

claims the district pledged to pay for the cost of the other half of the

project.

But district officials said they neither have the money to complete the

project’s funding, nor did they pledge to do so.

“I don’t know where they came up with the idea that we pledged to fund

half the project,” Koch said. “We have said all along that it’s important

to have a pool, but we have $160 million in repair needs in the

district.”

That has some aquatic complex campaigners accusing the district of

betrayal.

“If the district doesn’t come up with its half of the money, there is

going to be an empty dirt hole with no pool,” Hay said.

Hay added that the district was caught off guard by the campaign’s

ability to raise more than a half-million dollars in such a short time.

“We raised the money faster than they thought possible,” Hay said. “They

didn’t know what to do.”

And since there’s state money involved, the group had to begin work or

lose the funding.

Although district Supt. Susan Roper thanked the crowd of about 75 for

their patience in completing the project, Hay said the community’s

patience is running out.

“The community is upset,” Hay said. “We don’t believe the school district

will fund the rest of the project.”

The district and the city have formed a joint committee to explore

options for coming up with the remaining funds, but Hay said it is too

little, too late.

“They should have done that two years ago when we started the campaign,”

Hay said.

QUESTION

TAKING A DIVE?

What do you think the school district, the city and the Take the Plunge

campaign should do to raise the remaining $1 million needed to complete

the project? Leave your thoughts on our Readers Hotline at 965-7175, fax

us at 965-7174 or send e-mail to hbindy@latimes.com. Please spell your

name and include your hometown and phone number for verification only.