Phoenix parks department outlines expanded summer camps, 20 pools to open amid staffing efforts

PHOENIX — At a Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee meeting on May 21, Phoenix Parks and Recreation presented plans for the 2025 summer season that include 26 Phoenix Place summer camp sites, 20 city pools opening this year and expanded swim‑lesson capacity.

The presentation focused on access, affordability and staffing. "The Phoenix Place summer camp is an indoor program facilitated at 26 Phoenix community and recreation centers spread throughout the city," Deputy Parks and Recreation Director Daniel Polvoromo said. He told the subcommittee camps run eight to 10 weeks, sites typically accommodate 40 to 50 participants, and the department maintains a 1‑to‑15 staff‑to‑participant ratio.

Those details matter because camps and public pools provide low‑cost child supervision and recreation across neighborhoods. Phoenix staff said camps include pre‑ and post‑week coverage, teen volunteer opportunities for 13‑ to 15‑year‑olds, weekly newsletters in English and Spanish, and a new weekly registration option introduced this year after parent surveys.

Parks and Recreation reported the city has 29 pools in its inventory. Aquatics Supervisor Becky Kirk said preparations included recruitment and training that began in March 2024. "This year the city is employing more than 400 lifeguards, of which 246 are certified swim instructors, 26 assistant pool managers, 17 pool managers and 48 cashiers," Kirk said. The department expects 16 pools to be open all summer and four additional pools to be open for part of the season, bringing the total to 20 open pools for 2025. Eastlake Pool remains under renovation, expected to finish in late fall.

Staff acknowledged persistent staffing shortages that limit openings. To address that, the department described an accelerated assistant‑manager training program, a new head lifeguard development track intended to prepare second‑ and third‑year employees for management roles, and hiring incentives ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 depending on position. The department said 65% of last summer’s aquatic staff returned this year.

The presentation included programming and partnerships: five pools were identified for conversion to neighborhood splash pads under a voter‑approved general obligation bond (Grama, University, Alkiar, Maryview and Holiday, per the presentation), and telephone pioneer pool will reopen this summer through a partnership with Ability360. Salt River Project and the Milwaukee Brewers provided more than $70,000 in combined donations to the Cool Kids program; the Arizona Diamondbacks and a partner program will double discounted swim‑lesson slots.

Phoenix emphasized swim safety and affordability: staff said pools recorded more than 267,000 visits in 2024 and offered about 12,000 swim‑lesson slots that year. For 2025, the department said it will provide about 12,700 lesson opportunities at 19 locations; a standard two‑week session is $15 (about $1.88 per day) and about 1,600 heavily discounted slots will cost $3 (about $0.38 per day). The department also added limited August lessons for ages 3 to 5 aimed at self‑rescue skills.

During council questions, members pressed staff on capacity and access. Councilwoman Hodge Washington asked whether registration would remain open throughout the summer; staff said spaces remain available at most sites and registration continues while capacity exists. When asked about total camp participation, staff said 2024 totaled just under 2,400 youth across Phoenix Place sites.

Council members also suggested using the heated Eastlake Pool as a year‑round training and programming site to help build the lifeguard and manager pipeline. Staff said they are pursuing targeted recruitment and training to expand openings in future seasons.

Less urgent details: some larger centers such as Desert West and Longview offer gyms and multipurpose rooms for bigger groups, while smaller sites (for example Sunnyslope Youth Center) host smaller cohorts and two field trips are generally included in the program calendar. The department said it will continue post‑season surveys to refine offerings.

The subcommittee did not take formal action specific to the presentation; Parks and Recreation asked the panel for questions and to note the department’s progress ahead of the summer season.