To read more about International Water Safety Day, click here.
Continuing with the theme of May 15th being International Water Safety Day, the Wenatche School Board (located in Washington State) announced this week that all incoming high school freshmen PE students take a swimming test, where “non-swimmers” would be expected to complete a swim class either provided by the school, or an approved program at a community pool, as part of their Physical Education.
According to local news site Wenatchee World, and confirmed by the agenda and minutes of Tuesday’s board meeting, the move was unanimously approved one of three options.
The move is in response to the drowning of 14-year old student Antonio Reyes on November 17th, 2011 during his PE class, which resulted in a $2 million settlement and new policies about lifeguards always being on duty. Reyes was estimated to have been at the bottom of the pool for 40 minutes according to one report.
This option is estimated to cost an additional $40,255 dollars a year, that would come out of the district’s general budget of $73 million; as compared to the cost of settlement for even one horrendous accident, the move makes sense financially in addition to the desire and mandate of schools to protect the well-being of students.
Among the hires would include the employment of a certified aquatics teacher, two para-educators trained in teaching swimming lessons, and two additional lifeguards on hand to ensure safety.
Wenatchee World also indicates that the program could be expanded to middle schools and elementary schools down the road. The Wenatchee pool is a 6-lane, 25-yard indoor pool, and the school has just north of 2,000 enrolled students. The Wenatchee boys’ swim team finished 28th at last year’s Washington 4A High School state championship meet, and the girls were 10th. The star of the program is Hannah Bruggman, who is the 2012-2013 Washington 4A State Champion in the 100 yard free (51.71)
I do not agree these kids have to take swimming to graduate.. it is a good idea that everybody knows how to swim but that should not be mandatory
Thank goodness a school district has finally seen the light! My understanding is that drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among youth. If that is the case I cannot understand why swimming proficiency is NOT mandatory in ALL schools this is cheep and easy… an essential life skill
Totally agree. I’d love to see more schools require swimming. Unfortunately the trend seems to be toward less PE rather than more.
Glad I am in a school district, NACS (Northwest Allen County Schools), in Fort Wayne, Indiana that supports the importnace of water safety for our school kiddos and the entire surrounding community. We bring in a couple different Elementary grades from each of our (7) Elementary school and every Freshman is required to take a 3-week swim class during each school year..
While I don’t disagree at all with the goal of teaching swimming proficiency to as many kids as possible… where I live probably 95% of school districts do not have pools. So teaching such would be neither cheap nor easy.