YMCA Swim Program Could Get Cut

The YMCA program that helps local kindergarteners learn to swim may be on the line at local schools.

Months after Superintendent Wayne Alexander recommended cutting the program to save money in the district's already-tight budget - and the school board members directed him to garner more information - he has returned with feedback from schools that backs up his recommendation.

Of the district's 1,623 kindergarteners during the 2007-08 school year, 1,167 participated in the program, ranging from 12 percent participation at Chochachatti Elementary to 100 percent participation at Deltona Elementary. At some schools, students were given the option of opting out of the program if they already knew how to swim.

The district currently spends nearly $18,000 on transportation and substitute teachers to operate the program, which transports kindergarteners via school bus five times per year from local schools to the YMCA off Mariner Boulevard in Spring Hill for 30-minute water safety and swimming lessons.

But teachers at the district's schools gave negative reviews of the program, with collective comments ranging from "too much time and too little benefit" to disrupting normal classroom instruction and teaching schedules.

While transportation time varied depending on the location of the school, teachers averaged that each lesson causes a loss of several hours of instructional time.

Alexander said he is standing by his recommendation that the YMCA's voucher program - which offers free swimming lessons for students who need to learn how to swim - be utilized by families, rather than the district taking time out of the instructional day for students.

"Cost-wise, this is an area that we need to look at to reduce," Alexander said. "The YMCA is still willing to offer lessons at no cost to students, and that way, its not framed around losing a piece of instruction time."

Hernando County School Board members, who will discuss the issue at a 1 p.m. workshop Tuesday, had varying feelings on the issue.

School board member Pat Fagan and Chairwoman Sandra Nicholson agreed with Alexander's recommendation.

"I support students learning to swim. It's a very important part of life, but we've got some budgetary issues," Fagan said. "I (like) that it gives kids the opportunity to take swimming lessons, but parents need to be able to take their children to the lessons themselves."

Nicholson suggested that church or parent groups at individual schools, such as Student Advisory Councils, meet and devise a plan to transport students to the lessons.

"There are all kinds of groups that could make this a community project," she said. "After reviewing this, I just think this is something extra and we need to watch our budget."

But board member Dianne Bonfield remained a staunch supporter of continuing to fund the program in local schools.

She said she has seen the value of the program firsthand from seeing her grandchildren and students learn to swim through the program.

"I feel that for many children, this is the first opportunity to enter the water unsupervised by trained instructors," she said. "Especially in Florida, we should be (encouraging) this opportunity."

Bonfield said she respects the teacher feedback that the program is disruptive, but said the benefits of the program far outweigh the negatives.

Also, the vouchers are not helpful for parents who do not have vehicles, money or time to transport their children to swimming lessons, she said.

"This is money well-spent," Bonfield said. "The voucher idea is a wonderful thing, but it doesn't get them there. I think it's a wonderful program and I would hate to see it go."

In other school news:

Also at the school board's 1 p.m. workshop, facilities director Roland "Bo" Bavota will present an overview of the new Elementary "K," K-8 combination school project off Hexam Road and U.S. 19, slated to open in fall 2010.

The new K-8 school is being built in conjunction with a new, 2,000-student high school on the same parcel, which is also in its early planning stages. It is estimated to cost $27.7 million and will have space for 1,400 students.

At the school board's 7 p.m. meeting Tuesday, school board members are set to review and approve the transfer of $4.07 million within their budget for the construction of the high school, known as High School "EEE."

Both schools are meant to alleviate overcrowding at the district's other schools, with construction being paid for through a 10-year, one half-percent sales tax, approved by Hernando County voters in March 2004.

With a tax levy that went into effect on Jan. 1, 2005, officials have collected $26.8 million as of May 2008. It will expire on Dec. 31, 2014.

The funding is used to pay the principal and interest on $45 million in sales tax revenue bonds issued in October 2006. The proceeds are now being used to construct the new high school.

Both the workshop and meeting will take place in the board room at the district's headquarters, located at 919 N. Broad St. in Brooksville.