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Supporters say Wayzata on‑campus pool would ease logistics, expand access ahead of April 14 referendum
Summary
On a Wayzata podcast about Question 3 of the April 14 referendum, the high school’s swim coach, a parent and a senior captain described long commutes, shared‑facility conflicts and capacity limits at the off‑campus Lifetime pool and argued a new on‑campus pool would expand access and hosting ability.
Supporters of Question 3 in Wayzata’s upcoming April 14 referendum told a local podcast that an on‑campus high school pool would reduce logistical burdens, expand access and allow the district to host larger competitions.
"It would really a game changer, not only for, you know, the high school teams, but but the community to have a facility on campus," said David Plummer, the boys swim coach, arguing the existing partnership with the off‑campus Lifetime facility in Plymouth creates transportation, scheduling and privacy challenges for students.
The podcast guests — coach Plummer; Megan Carr, a parent with multiple children in the program; and Nate Carr, a senior team captain — described several recurring problems with the off‑site arrangement. Nate said students often must leave school, return home and then travel again to the pool, creating tight schedules for students without an open fourth block or reliable rides. "It becomes difficult getting from here to Lifetime," he said.
Megan Carr highlighted differences in facility size and configuration. She explained that many district pools are six‑lane, 25‑yard pools with diving wells that limit simultaneous use, while Lifetime has an eight‑lane pool. Because of those constraints "you would be there for four or five hours every night" to accommodate all teams and users, she said, and larger competitions have sometimes been hosted at other schools such as Minnetonka.
Coach Plummer provided program scale to illustrate the constraint: "We have around 50 on the boys' team, and I think it's very similar on the girls' team and the synchro team," he said, putting the combined participation near 150 students. With limited lanes and shared space, he said teams either face excessive evening hours or squeeze many swimmers into lanes.
Guests also described non‑athletic drawbacks of the shared site: parking congestion, lane‑sharing conflicts when open‑swim users are present, limited locker rooms and acoustics and temperature settings that favor general‑fitness guests over competitive training. "Sometimes you show up and there's people swimming in your lanes because it's open swim up until the time they start," Megan Carr said.
Proponents framed an on‑campus pool as more than a competitive advantage. They argued it would broaden access to lessons and year‑round programs, make it easier for district staff and families to attend meets, and reduce volunteer setup time for scoreboards and timing systems. Coach Plummer said an on‑campus facility would allow the team to "expand access" and provide opportunities for students who are not elite athletes, while also serving older residents and community programming.
The podcast host directed listeners to district resources for more information: the district website's referendum tab and the posted URL in the episode; the host also said early voting is open Monday through Friday at the district service center and that election day is April 14.
The episode did not include voices opposing Question 3, cost estimates, or fiscal details from district officials; listeners seeking those specifics were directed to the district’s referendum materials on the website.
