Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Recreation Aquatics topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Surprise expands swim‑lesson capacity; wait list drops after new hiring and Oasis facility
Summary
Parks and Recreation officials told the City Council that changes including a full‑time swim‑lesson coordinator, new facility space and a new registration process increased swim‑lesson enrollment from about 1,800 to 3,755 and cut the waiting list from roughly 2,800 to 259.
Holly Osborne, Surprise parks and recreation director, and Paris Johnson, the city's newly hired full‑time swim‑lesson coordinator, told the City Council on Sept. 2 that the department significantly expanded its swim‑lesson capacity this year after hiring staff and opening a new facility formerly known as Oasis.
The improvements were intended to reduce a long waiting list and increase access to lessons that staff said sharply reduce drowning risk. "We saw an 88 percent risk reduction when students do have access to some formal swim lessons and water safety education," Paris Johnson said as she described the department's objectives.
Council members were shown enrollment and waiting‑list figures. Parks and Recreation staff said about 1,800 students were served by the program last year with nearly 2,800 people on the wait list; this year the department reported serving 3,755 students and said the overall waiting list dropped to 259. Staff said the summer group weekday lessons had no waiting list after the changes. The fall session had 22 people on the wait list, primarily for Saturday, adaptive and private lessons.
Osborne and Johnson outlined the steps behind the change: hiring a dedicated swim‑lesson coordinator (Johnson), expanding usable pool space by opening the Oasis facility, launching a new ActiveNet registration system, instituting a first‑day evaluation/sorting process to place students at the correct level, expanding instructor staffing to "more than 40" instructors, and updating curriculum and equipment. Casey Peterson was introduced as the aquatic manager overseeing the expanded operations.
Council members praised the results and emphasized the public‑safety motivation. Councilmember John Haney said the work matters because drownings remain a leading cause of death for very young children in Arizona. "It's 100 percent preventable," he said, calling the expanded lessons "life saving." Several councilmembers thanked staff and lifeguards for their work.
Osborne and Johnson told the council they plan further steps: certify and train more instructors, expand the adaptive program and private lessons, add additional Saturday lessons, and broaden community water‑safety education.
The presentation did not include any formal council vote. Staff indicated future program adjustments would be brought to council if they require budget changes or policy action.
