The District was recently made aware of significant issues with the existing pool that go far beyond the emergency pool repair project that began construction almost a year ago. Due to a failure of the pool’s mechanical unit and interior pool tile failure when it was filled with water in hopes of opening soon, the District will now be tasked with choosing from any one of many bad options, totaling between $1.2 million to $1.8 million to fix.

Last school year, the District only received one bid on the emergency repair project, from Numarco, Inc. of Elma, back in November of last year. The Board then approved the bid, in the amount of $292,000 as a base cost, upon the recommendation of Young and Wright Architectural, who is overseeing the project with the help of Buffalo Construction Consultants.

Construction for the emergency repair project began Feb. 1. In June, the Board of Education approved a change order in the amount of $74,704.54 to address additional tiling replacement needs. With the adjustment, the contract with Numarco, Inc., was adjusted to the amount of $366,704.54, which was still within the already budgeted amount.

At that point, the work remained on pace to allow for an opening of the pool around the beginning of the school year. But then came more problems.

The pool at the Gowanda Central School District will be more costly to repair than initially expected after more issues were uncovered.

The district recently filled the pool with water in hopes of being ready to open soon, but the water began to leak. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that the tiles on the interior were failing. The mechanical system also failed when it started back up after not being in use for several years, which put the previous timeline and budget entirely out of reach.

The pool was already well beyond its expected lifespan, as it was first built well over half a century ago. Superintendent Dr. Robert Anderson said, “We probably got more use out of it than its original life expectancy, so in that sense, we got our money’s worth.”

Still, what to do next is a question the District is now tasked with addressing.

The Board of Education recently received a presentation on the project, prepared by Young and Wright Architectural and Buffalo Construction Consultants. The options for what comes next were laid out to the District in steps.

First, the mechanical system replacement cost is estimated at $1,148,000 for a replacement with a Dectron “active” system with mechanical refrigeration components. For a “passive” system that allows for more airflow, the estimated cost is $971,000.

On top of those costs, a full tile removal and replacement along with an additional waterproof membrane on the interior of the pool will cost $730,000. That solution will last approximately 25 years. The cheaper option – only installing a waterproof membrane and cleaning and sanitizing the pool – will cost $265,000 with a lifespan of approximately 10 years, give or take.

The other option available to the District is to just do away with the pool to repurpose the space for a new function. In its current design, the pool serves the District for educational purposes and as a place for community members to exercise and enjoy the water, but it does not meet the specifications to hold swimming competitions. Without a fully remodeled pool, the District’s swimmers will not be competing at their home school.

Contrary to popular belief, repurposing the pool is not as much of a cost-saving measure as many would believe. Filling the pool with foam material and providing a concrete deck would cost approximately $252,000. Accounting for $250-300 per square foot of reprogramming costs, the cost to repurpose the pool varies between $1.35 million to $1.62 million, on top of the $252,000 to fill the pool. However, ongoing maintenance costs stemming from a pool would be eliminated by repurposing the space.

Of the five potential options – labeled 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, and C, representing a repurposed space – the cheapest option is to replace the mechanical system with a passive alternative and install a pool membrane without completely replacing the tiles. Even then, the cost to the District is estimated at $1,236,000, on top of the money already spent on the emergency repair project. Other repair options vary between $1.4 million to $1.8 million, while repurposing the room totals between $1.6 million to $1.8 million.

“It’s expensive. Pools are expensive pieces of equipment. The Board really has a big decision to make,” Anderson said.

Funding of any potential options can be done through the District’s fund balance, which is in good standing, or can be done through a capital project proposal. The District is eyeing a substantial project proposal in the coming year, with a vote planned for December of 2025. Thanks to the sizable fund balance and reserve funds available to the District, Anderson believes the Board is unlikely to seek a significant tax increase with any proposed project, even after the pool repair or repurposing.

Without a full Board in attendance and so much to consider, no decision was made at the recent Board of Education meeting. The Board will evaluate the options in the coming weeks to discuss the matter further at a later date.

The next meeting of the Gowanda Board of Education is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 15.