Moses Lake School District not mulling pool closure

MOSES LAKE — Rumors that the school district is considering closing the pool at Moses Lake High School are not true, according to Superintendent Josh Meek.

Meek said that while the high school pool’s public schedule is on the list of things to be reviewed as part of efforts to cut at least $6 million from this year’s budget, no decisions have been made.

According to Meek, the pool is one item the board will review that is “outside essential education.” A draft document distributed at the last school board meeting outlining possible items to review for cost savings lists “Reduce/Review Public Pool Schedule” as something that could potentially save the district $95,000.

However, Meek said that even if public hours were curtailed, the pool would still be open for instructional use.

The Moses Lake School District is looking for cuts following a change by the state legislature to the funding formula for local schools, which provides more for “basic education” but caps the taxes districts can levy to pay for programs outside of basic education, such as music and sports.