Aquatic center opening delayed

SANDUSKY — The grand opening of Sandusky's new pool facility will be delayed several months, district officials announced. The district's aquatic center under construction on the Sandusky High School property on Hayes Avenue (Ohio 4), originally slated to be finished by the end of 2024, is now projected to open next spring, in May. Sandusky Schools superintendent Dan Rambler met with the supervisor of Sandusky's aquatic center, Michael Carr, to share an update with the community. Carr works for the Erie County Health Department. In his supervisor role, and in collaboration with Sandusky Schools and the city, he will ensure community access within the center. The health department is a partner with the city and school that ensures community access and community member's ability to utilize the center. Carr has a history of aquatic work dating back to 1993 at a summer camp for children with disabilities. This work included adaptive swimming and programming. About a decade later, he gained experience running water parks in Texas then moved to the Sandusky area where he found the district's job posting for the aquatic center's supervisor position. Rambler shared details on some of the new aquatic center's features. The center will be a space for the district's competitive swim team and Swan Club. It will also be used to teach swim lessons and for community access. "It's a great opportunity of kind of forging new relationships and part of that is the connection that we have now with the city around this and Erie County Health Department," Rambler said. Carr said he is working with each involved entity for the center while figuring out the best to program the pool and meet the community's needs. At this stage, Carr's job involves research. He has visited other area aquatic centers, is asking questions at the health department and using his experience in aquatics to make decisions on community needs and programming. "I think it's an exciting opportunity that you're connected through Erie County Health Department like that," Rambler said. "They do so much for our community already and really focus around community health, well-being, making sure individuals are able to do things in a productive way but also managing health and safety and wellness which I think unites really well with a school district in the city because we all want that." Carr said his goal is to push water competency and drowning prevention. "Everybody should know how to swim or at least be water confident to know what to do in those situations," Carr said. "Then add on the swim lessons to continue that and then bring that fitness aspect in so everybody enjoys the pool." The district previously estimated the aquatic center would open this month, but Rambler shared in his discussion with Carr that the grand opening is scheduled for May after facing a delay in shipping caused by a recent U.S. longshoremen's strike. Rambler said he is confident in the May opening and does not expect any other delays. "Hopefully that grand opening will occur sometime in May and then we can really open it up," Rambler said. Without seeing the finished product yet, Carr listed a few features he wanted to have at the center, including swim lessons and training platforms kids can use to avoid going into the deep end of the pool. There will also be adaptive swim gear such as adaptive lifejackets for inclusivity. Carr also mentioned a desire to station lifeguards at the aquatic center. He is working on sponsorship opportunities to help with the cost and wants the lifeguards to also act as swim teachers to be involved with the community rather than sitting on a stand watching the water.