MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich. — It’s exercise, it’s fun and it’s a survival skill.
The Muskegon Heights Academy wants to teach every student how to swim.
It is going to reopen the pool at the high school. The emergency manager appointed to fix the financial crisis in the Muskegon Heights Schools drained the pool seven years ago, but the current administration says all children, whatever their economic circumstances, should know how to swim.
“There is inequity here,” explains Muskegon Heights Public Schools Superintendent Rane' Garcia. “We need to give our kids the same opportunity as other kids and they need to learn to swim. We have a population here who hasn't had that opportunity, hasn't learned how to swim and is fearful of it.”
The district says it needed to raise $300,000 to open and operate the pool for three years. Once open the district will use the pool as a community resource for adult classes, senior citizen programs and other activities.
Every enrolled student will have the opportunity for free swim lessons,” says Garcia. “Then we need to move to our adults.”
Rental fees will cover the cost to operate and maintain the pool.
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