Kenai Peninsula Borough School District pulls pool funding; Soldotna officials discuss service‑area, city and partnership options

Carrie Denderent, assistant superintendent for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, told the Soldotna City Council at a work session that the district has removed pool operations from the general fund and is seeking partners to keep community pools running.

Kevin Lyons, who led the district's presentation on pool operations, said the board’s budget action means "the school district is not gonna operate any pools." He described several options for preserving pool service: contracting with a municipality, forming a borough recreational service area, or contracting with a nonprofit or club to operate the facility. Lyons said, however, that the financial picture is uncertain because the district does not have separate water and utility meters for each pool and must estimate utility costs from usage models.

Why it matters: Soldotna High School pool is used for school physical‑education classes, special‑education programming, high‑school swim teams and community swim lessons. Without a partner, the district’s decision could force a pool closure that would affect student instruction and community programs.

Lyons outlined typical operating finances and staffing. He said the district runs a dedicated 710 pool operations account that collects user fees, lane rentals, donations and grants and that annual pool revenues have varied widely (examples given ranged from roughly $31,000 to $66,000). Lyons said the account covers day‑to‑day operating items but that utilities, the pool manager salary and a maintenance reserve are generally paid from district general funds. He said the pool has one full‑time manager (a roughly 206‑day position) and about five to six part‑time lifeguards; Lyons referenced a combined figure of about $42,130 covering some wages and consumables.

On capital and maintenance, Lyons said the district computed four‑year asset‑management averages from recent preventive‑maintenance work orders, but cautioned that pools sometimes require rare, very large repairs — "you can dump up to $1,000,000 into" major renovations over several years. He described the Soldotna High pool as "in reasonable condition" and noted local soil conditions are favorable compared with other borough pools.

Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Michicky said the borough owns the school pool buildings and offered to convene interested parties to explore arrangements. "We do not have rec powers," he told the council, explaining that the borough can maintain school‑owned facilities under contract but cannot unilaterally create municipal recreational services without the appropriate local authority. Michicky said options range from a voter‑driven service area to short pilot contracts with municipalities or nonprofit operators, and he emphasized installing separate metering so any operator can be charged for actual utility use.

Council members pressed on feasibility and local cost allocation. Some council members asked whether a city takeover would allow the city to set user fees or influence programming; Lyons and Denderent said those details would be subject to any memorandum of agreement or contract with the district. Mayor Michicky said the borough will perform preliminary outreach and research and then share potential agreements with the district and superintendent for their approval.

Next steps: The borough plans a survey of the seven affected communities to identify interested partners and to refine cost models; the district and any interested municipality would need to negotiate an MOA/MOU that spells out insurance, staffing, certification and maintenance responsibilities. The council moved on to its regular meeting after the work session; presenters were invited to remain for public comment and further questions.