Kenai will pay a high school pool's utility bills to keep it open another year

The Kenai Central High School pool will stay open through fiscal year 2027 because the city agreed to pay $46,400 toward its utility bills. Kevin Lyon, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District's planning operations director, told the council he did not believe the pool could stay open without it. The council adopted the grant agreement Aug. 19.

For the money, the district guaranteed at least 8.5 hours a week of lap and open swim and six hours of swim lessons, plus Saturday rentals, with exceptions for maintenance and staffing shortages.

Kenai is not alone in writing that check. The district closed its own pools in its April budget, and five of the seven on the peninsula are staying open now only under cost-sharing arrangements with the cities around them. Soldotna's remains closed. Homer's has funding for one year.

Under the Kenai split, the city covers utilities and the district raises fees to pay its pool manager and lifeguards. City Manager Terry Eubank said the swim club's hourly rate is expected to go from about $35 to about $90, more than double, and that the club appeared supportive. The district's rate sheet sets $90 only when a club's coach is a certified lifeguard, and $125 when not. Eubank called the arrangement "a one-year solution."

Council Member Bridget Grieme said she supports keeping pools open and raised several concerns anyway. She asked whether the district had gone to Kenai Peninsula Community Pools, a group she said raised money from peninsula residents for exactly this purpose. Lyon said the district is in contact with the group but its funds have not been made available. Grieme also pointed out that the district's fees run higher than what the Peninsula Piranhas swim club had projected, and that Kenai residents get no reduced rate even though Kenai is paying the bill.

State utility money she asked about has not been distributed yet, Lyon said, with a meeting set for early September on how it might be allocated. Eubank said any conditions Grieme wanted attached would have to be measurable and agreed to by the district. None were added, and the resolution passed by unanimous consent.

Lyon said it is too early to say what fiscal 2028 holds.