Saratoga News

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Saratoga pool open to adults for noon swimming? No deal!

By Michele Tjin

Local swimmers who make use of the pool at Saratoga High School during school hours have been left out in the cold for almost a month. Despite another round of pleas from adult swimmers, the school pool remains closed to them.

Swimmers from the De Anza Cupertino Aquatics program stated their case one more time to the trustees of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District at their March 20 meeting. DACA's noontime swim program at Saratoga has been popular with local swimmers, but the school closed the pool to outside access on March 1, citing safety concerns.

Swimmer Shannon Newton said she and her peers are willing to be fingerprinted and undergo background checks if that's what the school is worried about. But there needs to be a balance, she said.

"I don't think our lives should be ruled by fear," Newton said.

For Rick Waltonsmith, there is value in older swimmers interacting with students.

"I understand that safety of students is foremost," he said. "But it's good to have role models as they grow up."

However, two Saratoga residents disagreed with the swimmers, saying principal Jeff Anderson made the right call in closing the pool to the community during school hours.

"The risk is low, but no level of risk is acceptable," said parent Cathie Thermond in a written statement to the board.

Pete Raykovich, director of DACA, who met with Anderson in December, told the board that while he would love to see the noon swim program continue, he has to be mindful of liability issues. While some swimmers suggested that they could do without access to the locker room, both he and Anderson agreed the locker room, which houses the restrooms, is key to the program.

"If we could find people a solution, Jeff would be open to reopening the pool," Raykovich said. "We have liability issues that we have to be concerned about if something happened on campus."

The board supported Anderson and superintendent Cary Matsuoka in their decision. Trustees suggested other nearby pool facilities that swimmers could look into, such as West Valley College or the YMCA on Quito Road.

"This is not about the individuals in the program," said trustee Roger Mason. "No one is saying that they have done anything wrong."

Board president Cynthia Chang said while the swim program has run smoothly so far, the board has the responsibility to look out for the safety of students.

"It's a chance we can't take," she said.

In other board news, the trustees had a discussion about including the Pledge of Allegiance at each board meeting. For at least the past 11 years, the pledge has never been said at board meetings, said board member Lorrie Wernick. Some members were interested in changing the practice.

"I can't think of any reason why we wouldn't do the pledge," Mason said.

However, Varun Sivaram, a student representative to the board, disagreed.

"What value would be added to the meetings" if the pledge was included, asked Varun, a senior from Saratoga.

He suggested the board could say an original pledge, one that promises members would be committed to the issues of the district and education, or taking the words "under God" out of the pledge.

"It's a controversial issue," Varun said.

Trustee Michele van Zuiden said it might be even more controversial to alter the Pledge of Allegiance. Other trustees said patriotism is reason enough to say the pledge.

"There is some meaning to pledge your allegiance to this country that has done so much for us," trustee Rosemary Rossi said.

Chang agreed with the idea of patriotism but sided with Varun.

"I do feel in this community, there are diverse religions. Some believe in God, and some don't," she said.

While the board said it would respect anyone's wishes not to recite the pledge, Varun said people often stand up because of peer pressure.

Alec Brasier, the student representative from Los Gatos, said he had no problems if the board implemented the pledge in its meetings. If individuals chose to sit down, these board members are not the type of people who point them out, he said.