High School Pool In Line For Upgrades

Thanks in part to money from Wispark, the Oak Creek High School pool may be getting some long-awaited improvements.

The Oak Creek-Franklin School Board signaled its support for a recommendation to make about $200,000 worth of improvements to the pool using money from a fund set up for community-based projects.

This project would move drainage filters so the water level can be raised. That will allow OCHS swim teams to finally use starting blocks, which are used at meets at nearly every other school except Oak Creek.

The board could vote on the proposal Feb. 11. Work would be done over the summer and completed in time for the girls' swimming season in the fall.

As part of a land exchange agreement last year , Wispark agreed to pay $100,000 into the community service fund to add to about $230,000 already in the fund.

By law, money in the community service fund can only be used for projects benefiting the entire community, not for things like classroom instruction or teachers.

The community service fund does not include property tax dollars. Most of the money comes from fees, such as from before and after school programs or driver's education.

School board members noted that upgrades have been made or are being made at several district facilities, including the football, soccer and baseball fields. The pool was seen as the next logical place for improvements to be made.

Many parents have long called for improvements to the pool. A few parents attending Monday's School Board meeting applauded the proposal, saying it will greatly help already-successful swim teams. The lack of starting blocks have put the Knights at a disadvantage since the teams can't even practice with them, parents said.

Wispark is the development arm of We Energies and the owner and lead developer of the former Delphi property, where a mixed-use town center is planned.

In the aforementioned land swaps, the school district gave up 50 acres it owned on Oakwood Road to Wispark for development of a future business park. In exchange, the school district will take ownership of the Civic Center property at Puetz Road and Howell Avenue once a new library and city hall are built.

The school district also got about 16 acres on Drexel Avenue for a future elementary school.