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Parents, coaches press Hawthorne council to keep Leaps and Bounds swim program at city pool
Summary
Multiple parents, coaches and program staff urged the City of Hawthorne to reverse or clarify a proposed change affecting Leaps and Bounds, a swim program serving neurodiverse participants. City staff said the program’s permit has not been revoked but scheduling changes are under discussion.
Several parents, coaches and the manager of the Leaps and Bounds swim program told the Hawthorne City Council that removing Leaps and Bounds from the Hawthorne Aquatic Center would harm children and adults with autism and related disorders who rely on the program for water safety and recreation.
Leaps and Bounds manager Sean Cochran described the program’s local history and the population it serves, saying the program began at the Hawthorne Pool in September 2023 to serve families who could not travel to Santa Monica. He said the program serves “close to a hundred families” in Hawthorne and surrounding communities and that the organization pays roughly $5,000 a month in rent to the city for use of the pool.
Parents and coaches said the classes provide critical water-safety training, socialization and routine for their children and adults with disabilities. Catherine Grama, a Leaps and Bounds coach, told the council that drowning is a leading cause of death for children and that specialized instruction for children with autism is scarce in the region. Several parents described measurable gains in their children’s safety, communication and confidence tied to the lessons.
City staff and other speakers pushed back on claims that the program had been abruptly terminated. A city representative said the group had been contacted twice by staff and by the city attorney and that no permit or contract had been revoked; instead staff said the discussion was about scheduling and facility access. Councilmembers and staff repeatedly encouraged program leadership to coordinate with recreation staff to find times and configurations that would allow Leaps and Bounds to continue while the city also adds a proposed recreational family swim.
Kimberly Mack, the city’s director of housing, did not preside over pool scheduling but answered a separate question later during the meeting about HUD funding. City staff present said the proposal under discussion would place family rec swim during hours that overlap part of Leaps and Bounds’ current 3–6 p.m. slot; staff said the shallow end would be used for rec swim under the proposal and that they believe both uses can coexist but that more coordination is needed so the program’s families are not displaced.
Councilmembers acknowledged the parents’ concerns and directed staff to continue working with the program and with recreation staff to identify times and spaces where Leaps and Bounds can continue serving Hawthorne-area families. Council members also noted that some of the program’s public messaging created confusion and asked Leaps and Bounds leadership to work directly with the city attorney and Parks & Recreation staff to resolve scheduling and communication issues.
The council did not take a formal binding vote to terminate or reinstate the program during the meeting; staff said the organization’s permit remains in effect and that further meetings with program leadership and Parks & Recreation staff would occur.
