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Board discusses closing beach during morning swim lessons to improve safety
Summary
Casco staff and the Select Board debated policy options to make morning swim lessons safer, including closing the beach from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. during lesson periods, adding enforceable signage and parent-responsibility language to lesson contracts.
The Select Board discussed changes to beach policy on July 7 aimed at reducing disruptions and safety risks during town-run swim lessons.
Staff and swim instructors described persistent challenges when swim lessons share space with the public: instructors must watch lesson participants while also monitoring unsupervised children and public use of lesson equipment. “It comes down to the aspect of it's not just the quantity… it's making it challenging for the swim instructors,” staff said during the discussion.
The group discussed options for 2027 including closing the beach during lesson windows (proposed 08:30–11:30), clearer signage, contract language making parents responsible for supervision, marketing lesson parameters in advance, and enforceable consequences such as removal from lessons without refund for disruptive behavior.
Board members emphasized the town’s relative rarity in offering lessons and urged policies that protect instructors and enable the program to continue. Staff said any policy changes would be drafted over the fall so they can be implemented and communicated well before next summer’s lesson marketing.
No formal vote was taken; the board asked staff to draft enforceable practice options and return with recommended language and communication plans.
