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Schools

YMCA To Provide Lifeguarding Services For Springton Lake's Swim Season

The RTMSD Board of Directors met Thursday night, Oct. 27.

At Oct. 27's Rose Tree Media School District Board of Directors meeting, the board voted to use the YMCA's lifeguarding services for the Springton Lake Middle School swim season and conducted the first reading of RTMSD's new proposed attendance policy.

YMCA to provide Springton Lake's lifeguarding services

Dennis Cini, project manager for the upgrades to Springton Lake Middle School, updated the board on progress made at the site. The school's auditorium is scheduled to be completed in the next three weeks and the pool is now up and running. 

Since Springton Lake Middle School's swim team will begin their season next week, a decision on who would provide the lifeguarding services for the duration of the season was needed at Thursday night's meeting.

Both the YMCA and Woolery Enterprises submitted bids for the estimated 510 hours of lifeguarding services. YMCA offered a $15/hour rate, which added to an administrative fee and pool equipment, came to a $9,722 estimate. Woolery Enterprises submitted a bid for $35/hour for the first 200 hours and $25 for every hour after that, totaling $14,750 for the estimate.

Board member Jeffrey Pettit was concerned about the disparity in pricing.

"I just fear we're going to get poor quality lifeguarding at that rate," he said.

Cini assured the board that both parties had fully certified lifeguards, though board member William O'Donnell pointed out that the two services are certified through different providers: Woolery through the Red Cross and the YMCA through the YMCA's own certification program.

Most board members, however, agreed that spending an additional $5,000 on what Cini called an "apples to apples" decision would be unnecessary. The board voted to approve the YMCA's proposal, with all in favor aside from Pettit.

The YMCA will provide lifeguarding services only for the swim season: a further bid process will be undertaken later to determine the lifeguarding provider for services following the season's end, Cini said.

Changes to attendance policy considered

The board also conducted a first reading of several proposed changes for the Rose Tree Media School District attendance policy. The changes include clarifications, and what look to be stricter attendance guidelines, including the prohibition of absences for educational trips during PSSA testing.

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