Belen Board of Education discusses future, major repairs of outdoor pool

BELEN — The outdoor pool at Belen High School has seen better days, and while it’s not in imminent danger of closure, if the Belen Consolidated Schools Board of Education can’t find a healthy chunk of funding for repairs, the continued use of the facility could be limited.

“This meeting is not for the closure of any pool,” board of education President Jim Danner told the people packing the board room during a budget workshop on March 10. “This is to review the assessment of the pool and determine what is the community need? We are here to get input from the community. There will be no votes today.”

The overwhelming message from the more than three dozen people at the workshop was the pool is an integral part of Valencia County, providing education, recreation and community.

Opened in 1978, the 10-lane outdoor pool is about 7,830 square feet. There is also the 4,500 square foot pool house, which includes changing rooms, restrooms, shower areas, an administrative office, storage rooms and mechanical space.

“We don’t want to apply Band-Aids,” said BCS Superintendent Lawrence Sanchez. “It’s not just the pool but the entire facility. It’s not ADA compliant. There’s structural settling, rust and corrosion.”

The assessment, performed in December by Equiterra Regenerative Design, which has offices in Albuquerque, laid out two different possibilities for repairs to extend the life of the outdoor pool and pool house — one coming in at about $1.9 million and the other around $2.4 million, with the more expensive option hopefully keeping the facility going for another 20 years. The less expensive course would extend life by about 10-plus years.

Sanchez said those estimates are based on just a visual inspection and assessment by Equiterra.

“Because of the age of the facilities, we all know, when we start digging many times we find more problems. Right now, it’s more than $1 million just for the pool,” the superintendent said. “Without digging up certain things, we’re not sure what lies underground. And we know, every day the cost of materials and construction are going up.”

Pool manager Barbara Rodriguez said she felt the pool could last another year with minor repairs.

“We have just started draining the outdoor pool and haven’t looked at the bottom yet, but we haven’t had any leaking from the pool itself to the outside,” Rodriguez said.

Sanchez has had some conversations with officials with the city of Belen about getting help with the cost of repairs, but while it was willing to help look for grant funding, city leadership said they couldn’t help with financial assistance right now.

The district has been maintaining the facility “with $10,000 here and there” to address wear and tear, Danner said. “Pools are not cheap, whatever you’re hearing. They are not cheap but they’re worth it. We have been to the city for probably 50 years ... and have fought with many a mayor over the pool.”

The city fills the outdoor pool at no cost in exchange for using the pool for its summer recreation program, Sanchez said.

“It does need to be said, when we’re spending close to $3 million it puts a huge damper on future and current projects, and will effect our ability to do other things. Our funding is likely to go down or remain the same, and the majority of (increased expenses) we don’t have a choice in, like teacher and staff salaries,” the superintendent said. “Not all of the raises are covered by state funding. Insurance costs are going to go up. We also have (the rebuild of Dennis Chavez Elementary) in process and we want to rebuild Belen High School. We are going to have to be tight.”

The board members acknowledged Sanchez’s point, saying they understood the various priorities in play.

“For me, this is something we should do,” said board member Aubrey Tucker. “Do we have to look at cost? Absolutely. I cannot and will not go into this blindly. If we’re going to do this, then we do it right and the best we can.”

Numerous members of the public addressed the board, recounting how they and their children and, now their grandchildren, use the pool on a regular basis. Other users in the senior citizen era of life spoke about the positive impact the pool has had in their lives.

Belen City Councilor Rudy Espinoza said there are several large corporations in the county “that have money. I have reached out and I’m hoping they will help subsidize this.

“(The city) is finally getting the Little League fields together because we have some corporate sponsors and I’m not sure you’ve tapped into that. They need to step up and help. (The city) doesn’t have the money, but if there’s anything we can do you have one vote.”