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Neither will community members.
Manheim Township school board Monday decided not to include a pool in the school design, killing a proposal to have the district, township and a swimming club build a new indoor pool to serve students and the community.
"I don't believe our community is going to sit very still if we spend another $6 million to $7 million to build a pool, especially in this economic climate," board member William Murry said.
"We can't be everything to everyone," fellow member Mark Anderson said. "I don't think it's in the cards."
In 2008, the pool committee of Manheim Township Joint Task Force, a group that promotes cooperation between the district and the township, recommended that the two bodies join with Lancaster Aquatic Club to build an aquatic center on the site of the 5-6 building.
The new pool, which would be used by students, recreational swimmers and swim teams, would replace the high school pool, which is nearly 55 years old.
The committee had proposed a free-standing building connected to the 5-6 school, but the district said the school site can't accommodate two separate buildings.
The committee then suggested a scaled-down project within the 5-6 school at a cost of about $7 million.
Neither the school board nor the township commissioners took a formal vote on the proposal.
But the district did include the option of a pool in its request for proposals from architects interested in designing the 5-6 building.
The board had to decide whether the pool was in or out before the district could move ahead with the 5-6 school design.
Members acknowledged that the high school pool is in need of repairs but said they can't commit to building a replacement pool at this time.
"We can't afford it, and we can't justify it to our taxpayers," board president Hannah Bartges said.
Rick Casselbury, a township commissioner who served on the pool committee, said the economic downturn doomed the project.
Interest "kind of stalled out" because of the high cost of the proposal, he said.
The township also is not interested in building a new indoor pool at this time, he said, although the commissioners did approve a $1.1 million upgrade for the outdoor Skyline Pool this year.
School board member Tom O'Brien said the district should work up cost figures and space requirements for a new freestanding pool to "keep in our back pocket" in case the high school pool must be replaced.
Not only has the pool deteriorated, officials have said, but it's undersized and can't be expanded.
The district administration has proposed spending about $500,000 next year on pool upgrades, but the board has yet to approve the expenditures.
The improvements could extend the useful life of the pool by 15 to 20 years, according to Joe Kurjiaka, the district's chief operating officer.
With the new pool now out of the equation, architect Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates can move ahead on the 5-6 building's design.
The school, which would accommodate up to 1,100 students, is proposed for district-owned land behind the high school.
The project is expected to cost $35 million to $40 million and free up space at district elementary schools to accommodate enrollment growth and a proposed full-day kindergarten program.
The district will hold a public information meeting on the 5-6 project at 7 p.m. Dec. 22 in Convocation Hall of the high school.
The project architect and engineer will explain the need for the new school, provide details and renderings of the project and answer questions from residents.
Officials expect the project to go out to bid by the fall.
