Parks take plunge with new plan for swim lessons

No need to set the alarm for 1 a.m. this year.

The Huntley Park District is revamping its swim lesson registration process, letting you sleep in beyond dawn and register for lessons any time you like.

In the past, the registration was held on one morning usually in April. In hopes of getting lessons for their kids, families would start lining up sometimes at early at 1 or 2 a.m. to get a good spot in line.

But there were many complaints about the process.

Not everyone was able to head out that early on what often turned out to be a cold morning.

Some were out of town.

Some didn't have anyone to watch their other little ones.

And some simply didn't want to sit in line for hours and hours, and then were stuck in the end with undesirable times for swim lessons or no lessons at all.

This year, after hearing those concerns during a survey of swim lesson participants last year, the park district is hoping to change all of that by switching to a computerized lottery system.

"A lot of them asked if we would develop a different process where it wasn't all on one day," Huntley Park District Recreation Director Debbie Kraus said.

Now you'll have until 4 p.m. April 26 to get in your top three picks for swim lesson dates and times this year.

The following Monday, the park district will do a computerized lottery spin, hopefully placing most families randomly in one of the classes they've selected for their little swimmers.

Park district staff then will double-check the registrations and mail out confirmations of swim lesson dates and times to their residents.

Kraus said families are encouraged to put down three choices, just in case their first is filled up. Often times during in-person registration, families also need to go down the line to their second, third or fourth choices when the classes are filled, so this is similar.

If registrants do not get into any of their three choices, Kraus said, park district staff will call them after the lottery to see if there is another class they'd like available.

Parent Jennifer Troy, who in the past has braved cold April mornings to register her two daughters for swim lessons, is happy about the change.

"We are thrilled that no one has to make the 4 a.m. trip to the park district offices on a cold April morning to help secure a place for their child," Troy said. "The park district has come up with a great new system that is fair and equitable to all parents and children in the community."

Kraus said park district officials are hoping the system works well and is fair for everyone. They selected it after looking at how other park districts in the area do their swim lesson registration.

"We're testing it out. We're hoping it will work well," Kraus said. "It's fair to today's families and it will alleviate a lot of the concerns of people."

For information call the park district at (847) 669-3180 or visit the Web site at www.huntleyparks.org. Registration forms can be picked up and dropped off at the park district's Rec Center at 12015 Mill Street.