Barrington High's pool will be closed for summer work
Barrington Area Unit School District 220 plans to start small with high school pool repairs in an effort to get a handle on what major work may be needed later.
Grouting and tile replacement are expected this summer for Barrington High School's pool. District 220 board members have agreed to set aside $50,000 for repairs.
In the bigger picture, officials said, pool problems that may be lurking are expected to become known, because it must be drained for the minor work to occur. The indoor pool will be closed for the summer to allow for an examination of the facility's infrastructure.
"The benefit of having the pool drained is that they'll have a really accurate idea of what really needs to be done with no water," said board member Penny Kazmier, a member of District 220's advisory facilities committee.
Officials had considered allotting about $400,000 for Barrington High pool repairs. However, a contractor's bid that estimated the potential work to cost roughly $800,000 led board members to take the less-expensive route for now.
Tim Neubauer, the assistant superintendent for business services, said the idea is to keep the pool well maintained and usable as facilities are assessed districtwide for the next couple years or so.
District 220 isn't alone in exploring pool repairs.
Officials at Northwest Suburban High School District 214 earlier this year committed $750,000 for Wheeling High School pool work this summer, including new deck tiles and lighting.