Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Programs Aquatics topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents, students urge return of RISE Aquatics to Vernon Hills pool; district to bring contract to board and provide roster data
Summary
Public commenters and student athletes told the committee they want RISE Aquatics Club restored to practice at Vernon Hills High School; district staff said the RISE contract will be an action item at the board meeting and agreed to provide rosters showing how many athletes come from district feeder programs.
Two public commenters at the Program and Personnel Committee meeting on May 12 asked the district to restore use of Vernon Hills High School pool space by RISE Aquatics Club and highlighted the program's contributions to high-school swimming.
Nate Blackman, who identified himself as a parent of three children with one currently a Vernon Hills High School sophomore, thanked the board for prior facility updates and urged the district to allow Bridal/RISE Aquatics back into the Vernon Hills pool if possible. "I also wanted to just, put in my 2¢," Blackman said, referencing the program's role as a feeder for the high school team and noting the club's donations of pool equipment to local schools.
Jack Jansen, a freshman and swimmer at Vernon Hills High School who said he began with RISE in February 2018, told trustees the high-school program has benefited from RISE-trained athletes and that RISE had to limit enrollment and turn away over 100 swimmers in recent years because of space constraints. "Without a RISE partnership at VHHS, we struggle with aging and failing equipment," Jansen said, adding that RISE had purchased a new timing system for Libertyville High School while Vernon Hills continued to experience failures during home meets.
District staff described the current RISE agreement as an annual intergovernmental use agreement that mainly assigns pool time at Libertyville High School and said the RISE agreement will be presented as an action item at the upcoming board meeting. A staff member explained that Vernon Hills Park District programming and facility-sharing arrangements influenced where various programs currently practice.
A trustee asked why the Vernon Hills Park District has priority for some facility use over district-sponsored and feeder programs, noting the park district primarily serves a portion of the district. District staff said the priority was negotiated as part of intergovernmental use agreements between the district and the park district and that some feeder-designation decisions are based on geography and the program's composition (some RISE athletes live outside District 128).
Direction to staff: a trustee requested and staff agreed to provide a breakdown of the number of athletes who progress to the high school swimming program from Vernon Hills Park District's Turtles program versus RISE. Staff said they would work with John Woods and Brian McDonald to compile roster information and return that data to trustees.
No formal board action on the RISE agreement occurred at the committee; the item was described as a state agenda item that will be presented for action at the full board meeting.
