The new pool for LHS began construction in December 2017, and it is scheduled to be completed soon, this spring.

Though there have been setbacks to the pool’s construction, such as frost in the winter when construction began and heavy rain in the spring, Dr. Koulentes stated that the project is still going “according to plan” and is scheduled to be finished this spring, which ranges from now to June 22. He also said that the construction team is trying to have the pool finished before school gets out in order to give the current seniors in swimming activities a chance to try it out before they leave.

Anna Heard, a junior swimmer and member of the water polo team, is looking forward to using the new pool soon.

“I thought I was going to be able to play water polo this season in [the new pool], but it’s okay because knowing that we’re getting a new pool is enough for me,” she said. “The pool we have now is really old and it always breaks down…Once [the new pool] gets here, it’s going to be so much better.”

Furthermore, Dr. Tom Koulentes, the principal, described what will happen to the old pool space. The lower floor of the pool will be turned into a dance studio, and the upper floor will become a multi-purpose gym.

As this project has already been approved by the Board of Education, construction on the old pool will begin in June, and it is scheduled to be completed in January 2020. These renovations are estimated to cost $4 million.

The new pool was planned to be constructed due to the age of the old one. As Dr. Koulentes said, “Our pool was built in 1952, so it is definitely at the end of its lifespan. It’s over 60 years old.”

Another reason that Dr. Koulentes cited for a new pool needing to be built is that the old pool is too small for the activities that it is meant to support.

“When the pool was made, only boys were swimming, and now we have boys swimming, girls swimming, boys water polo, girls water polo, [and] all the community swim programs…The current pool is just too small to host all those things,” he said.

Paige Rankin, a junior on both the swimming team and water polo team, is excited for the new pool to open.

“The current pool is just kind of getting old, and the air quality is just not that good, so I’m really excited to have [the new pool],” she said. “It’s a lot bigger than the one we have now, and for water polo games…you won’t have to worry about touching the bottom or anything.”

Dr. Koulentes elaborated on some of the features that the new pool will have. The expanded seating will be able to seat 700 to 800 spectators. There will also be two deep ends on the pool, which will allow divers to dive in on both ends. In addition, two bulkheads will allow for two different teams to practice at the same time, and the foundation of the pool will allow for a high dive to be installed. Dr. Koulentes noted that a high dive won’t be added right away, but it will be something can be installed later on. In total, the pool cost $21 million dollars to build.