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Parents urge immediate fixes to 50‑year‑old natatorium and raise electrical safety concerns
Summary
Two parents and a volunteer told the board the district pool is outdated and unsafe — listing rust, ventilation failures and broken equipment — and a parent alleged students had received electric shocks when plugging in Chromebooks; consultants said they would investigate and that localized maintenance issues could explain some incidents.
During public comment at the Oct. 21 special meeting, three community members urged the Lower Moreland Township School District to prioritize improvements to the district natatorium and to accelerate electrical safety checks at older buildings.
Eugenia Mamikunian, a parent and volunteer with the community swim club, told the board “our natatorium really needs some serious work,” listing broken lane lines, extensive rust and dust on acoustic panels, poor ventilation and a nonfunctioning dehumidifier, worn locker rooms and intermittent electrical outlets. She said the pool supports school and club swimmers and that the facility conditions limit the program’s potential.
Colleen Collins, a parent volunteer, asked the board to consider an immediate improvement plan for the “50‑year old natatorium,” noting the pool hosts 30–40 high school swimmers, 100+ club swimmers and daily summer‑camp use; she described corrosion that had caused cuts and poor air quality that concerns coaches, volunteers and families.
Charla Wilson raised an electrical safety allegation: she said multiple students experienced shocks while plugging Chromebooks into outlets at Murray Avenue and Pine Road, and added that her son was shocked in 2023 and later diagnosed with prolonged QT. The consultants responded in the meeting that such incidents would be investigated; John Young said they would look closely and that isolated shocks are often maintenance items but warranted further inspection.
District leaders and consultants acknowledged the natatorium issues were among the district’s needs; the ICS presentation had listed pool dehumidification and ventilation among immediate or near‑term system concerns. Administration said some electrical line items were scheduled later in the illustrative timeline but that the district could reexamine priorities if safety issues were identified. No formal findings or immediate accelerated actions were announced during the meeting.
The board did not vote on any measures; administration said it would factor public feedback into prioritization and follow up as part of the next steps once funding and grant outcomes were clarified.
