When students began their year at Paso Robles High School on August 15th, they were treated to a surprise: a big hole in front of the agriculture buildings.
“The original pool design from 2018 was comprised of a 50 meter pool with a diving well, a 25 meter warm-up pool and a bathhouse,” head of construction Britiany Baker said. These plans would’ve made the PRHS campus home to the largest high school swimming complex within the county (SLO Tribune). The new plans consist of a 38-meter by 25-yard pool with a shallow end and diving well as well as a bathhouse that is 3,692 square feet, according to Baker.
The Board of Trustees approved the project on February 13th, 2024. Once the district completed necessary contract signings, hired an inspector, and found a testing laboratory, earth-moving equipment arrived on campus the following April. Construction began shortly after, in late May.
“The project has a ‘guaranteed maximum price’ (GMP) of $15,907,741 but there are additional costs associated with the project like design, permits, and inspection. We have budgeted for the total project $16,759,125,” Assistant Superintendent Of Business Services Brad Pawlowski said.
Construction on the pool was originally planned to begin in 2019, but was delayed due to the project exceeding the original budget. In an article written by the SLO Tribune, it was revealed that the district had a budget of $8.2 million. However, the preferred
projects had costs upwards of $11 million. The least expensive project cost was $8.5 million, but excluded desirable features such as a public restroom, concessions and solar heating.
Athletes are beginning to be excited as they are finally seeing the new developments.
“I am really excited to see the pool finally being built, especially as they have been talking about building it for over 10 years and now are finally putting a hole in the ground,” 4-year water polo player, junior Zane Wilson said. “The new pool should also be a huge improvement from the half shallow, half deep municipal pool we have been restricted to use.”
Another long time diver, senior Emily Joy “EJ” McNeal, has been swimming for 14 years.
“I think the pool will have a good impact on our community,” McNeil said. “When our water polo, swim, or dive teams aren’t practicing, we can open the pool to the public and let our community swim in the clean water.”
On October 4th, construction workers poured 500 yards of concrete for the pool’s foundation. The Board of Trustees anticipates a completion date of November 2025 pending no major delays with weather or material availability.
Pool Completion Timeline
