Heriot School principal Colin McHutchon said the decision followed extensive community consultation about the future of the school’s pool, first opened in 1963, covered in 1981, and recently reclad in 2024.
"We’ve had the luxury of having a swimming pool here at the school since 1963," Mr McHutchon said.
"Once upon a time we had the luxury of a higher level of involvement ... as far as caring for the pool, treating the pool. We don’t have that ... People are increasingly time poor."
The board had asked the community whether the facility should continue as a school and community pool, or be limited to school use only.
Mr McHutchon said that after its meeting on Thursday, the board confirmed the pool would remain open for students only.
"The board met on Thursday and they agreed that they wanted to keep the pool as a school pool only," he said.
"That’s what we’re gonna try and manage going forward."
Mr McHutchon said although compliance standards were the same for both school and community pools, running it as a public facility would have meant testing the water three times a day for six months, including weekends and holidays.
"As far as the rules and what the regulations go around the pool, it’s actually the same. The only issue for us was the amount of times that we need to be testing if it’s open for the community," he said.
"If we only open for the school then the testing time is, you know, pretty much halved."
He said the Clutha District Council had been contributing about $2000 to $2500 towards community use, but maintaining compliance was more about human than financial resources.
"It’s more about the resource, like the human resource — having somebody attached to the pool for six months of the year, pretty much ten days a week," he said.
The pool will now only be open for school use.
