Seymour High School
SEYMOUR — The original swimming pool and gymnasium at Seymour High School, built in 1969, could be in line for a makeover.
That’s according to the Board of Selectpersons who unanimously voted at its Sept. 19 meeting to get quotes from architects on what renovations to the pool and potential construction of a new gym would cost.
“There was a water leak in the gym and the basketball floor has some issues, and the pool has not been upgraded since the school was built in 1969,” said First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis. “The pool leaks and the locker room is not ADA compliant, the lockers don’t lock and there’s a bunch of rust issues there, as well.”
Drugonis noted that the pool’s thermostat is also problematic and takes four days to heat up. She said the pool needs to be heated for the senior citizen aqua aerobics program, but then needs to be cooled off when the SHS swim team uses the pool.
Drugonis said the goal is to determine whether renovations to the existing pool and gym, or an overall expansion of the facilities, with possible creation of a new, larger gym, would be the most feasible and cost-effective way to proceed. The existing gym, she said, could ultimately be used as a practice gym.
Drugonis said an upgraded pool would enable the town to open it up for greater use by the community, when the SHS swim team is not using the facility. The pool is no longer used for physical education classes. And no matter what renovations may ultimately occur, for safety’s sake, Drugonis said there would be a separate entrance for the public so there is no interaction with the public and students at the school.
“We can make that part of the school a public center, which would enhance benefits to our community,” Selectman Fred Stanek said. “Moms and dads can go with their children to use the pool during the day, or night, when our swim team isn’t using it, and we could also create a small lounge in the pool area, as well.”
Drugonis said the hope would also be to make the pool deep enough to create a dive team.
“It would make our swim team a more competitive team,” she said. “And we could also bring back our feeder program. It’s worthwhile to take a look at this. And it would be win-win for our school and our community.”
Drugonis said the goal is to determine whether renovations to the existing pool and gym, or an overall expansion of the facilities, would be the most feasible and cost-effective way to proceed. She said federal ARPA funds were recently used to make some upgrades to the SHS sports campus, including a new sound system, renovated tennis courts and new ballfield lighting coming soon.
The last time SHS underwent any notable renovations was back in 2003, when residents approved spending $21.9 million to add 120,000-square feet of space that included construction of a two-story science and administrative wing, new cafeteria, media center, lockers, bleachers and loads of new parking. In 2014, a $2 million state grant enabled the town to install an artificial turf football field and handicapped accessible bleachers at the high school.
