The Upper Dublin School District Finance Committee on Aug. 20 approved moving forward with the purchase and installation of new competitive starting blocks for the district natatorium, a $80,799.70 project to be funded half by the district and half by a donation from UDAC.

District staff said the current starting blocks are original to the building and about 13 years old, within the 10–15 year useful-life window. Brandon Pierce, a district swim coach who worked with the evaluators, told the committee the existing blocks are “starting to deteriorate, fall apart,” and that the replacements will bring the pool up to current competitive standards.

Pierce said the new blocks include a rear wedge to allow track starts and compatibility with backstroke wedges that have become standard and are now permitted in competition. He also said the blocks can be customized with district insignia and will likely be colored red to match school colors. The vendor listed in the meeting packet is a CoStars contract provider; staff said the purchase will be executed through that contract.

Committee members asked whether the new blocks would require any timing-system upgrades; Pierce said the blocks are independent of the timing touchpads, which plug into deck-mounted connections and were replaced about two years ago. He said installation is expected after manufacturing, with the vendor estimating roughly a 12-week lead time and a one-day swap-out on arrival because the new blocks will fit existing anchors.

The committee also discussed warranty and service follow-up. Pierce said he was not certain of the quote’s warranty terms and that staff would confirm factory or local-service warranty coverage; he noted the vendor is local and should be able to provide service if needed.

The committee recorded its acceptance of a recommendation to accept UDAC’s donation for half the cost and to proceed with the purchase via the CoStars vendor noted in the packet.

Staff said the purchase was anticipated and included as a one-time expense in the district’s 2025–26 general fund budget.

Questions not resolved at the meeting included warranty details and the exact vendor name as printed in the packet; staff said they would follow up with that information.