The Kenai Peninsula School District School Board and Assembly are proposing to close all pools on the Kenai Peninsula as part of the 2023-2024 budget. We encourage the KPBSD Finance Committee, School Board and Assembly to reject this short-sighted proposal.

Our pools need to be open year round and available to the public.

Swimming is more than a sport. Alaska has the highest drowning rate in the nation. In a state full of lakes and rivers, swimming is a critical life skill that needs to be available in our communities. Alaska has more coastline and lakes than the rest of the United States combined. The Kenai Peninsula being a peninsula is entirely surrounded by water. 

Closing swimming pools will hurt our kids, Seniors and community members that need it the most.  Swimming is one of the most affordable and accessible sports. Pools provide a safe way for seniors to exercise. Everybody gets to participate, from novices to champions.

Swimming improves both physical and mental health  It is a high-intensity, low-injury sport that burns calories and builds healthy bodies. Swimming is proven to enhance moods and minimize depression.

Swimming also boosts academic performance  CDC and NIH studies show that students who start swimming at school age have improved confidence and language skills. Swimming teaches the value of discipline, commitment, and hard work and other life skills like setting goals, teamwork, and time management.

Budgets must be controlled. But cuts that make our communities less physically safe, less academically successful, and less able to contribute to society run contrary to the fundamental mission of any school district. To close our pools would be to abandon the core mission for which KPBSD is funded.

We encourage the school district to reject these cuts. Swimming Pools can and must be funded. 

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