Proposed partnership offers Templeton High School swim team a home facility
TEMPLETON — Templeton Unified School District (TUSD) trustees have taken a step forward in an agreement with the Templeton Tennis Ranch (TTR) regarding the use of their soon-to-be on-site pool.
TTR is looking forward to breaking ground soon on its eight-lane, 25-yard swimming pool. A partnership has been proposed between TTR and the district for the new pool to be the home facility for the district’s swim team.
Currently, the Templeton High School swim team — which was established around 2011 — has practiced and competed without a district-owned pool, traveling to Paso Robles for practice and out of town for competitions.
The proposed agreement outlines terms for rental of the facility for THS swimming. The cost is currently proposed at $3,000 per month during the swim season and $25 per hour per lane for swim meets.
Superintendent Aaron Asplund clarified, “This is an MOU that moves us toward a common understanding when the time comes.”
In October 2022, TTR requested a permit for the pool, and it wasn’t until Jan. 12, 2024, that the permit was approved.
When the THS swim team isn’t using the pool, it will be available to TTR members and the North County arm of the Puma Aquatic Club swim team, which serves local youth between the ages of 6 and 18. The pool will have three functions and will be built with competition lap pool requirements for the high school and Puma, including touch pads for electronic timing. It will also be used as a fitness pool, allowing TTR to add different aqua-aerobic classes to their schedule. On top of that, it will also be a resort pool for families to use during family swim times.
Asplund pointed out that the cost to rent the pool for THS use is much more cost effective than building and maintaining a district pool — as shown with the Aquatics Complex at the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District which has cost that district over $1 million.
“This is a tremendously cost-effective way to have full access to a pool,” said Asplund.
He added, “In the past, we had to go away to every swim meet. This allows us to host swim meets on a regular basis, which will be a new opportunity for our community.”
The board unanimously approved moving forward with the MOU and TTR for the rental of the pool. The pool is currently expected to be completed this summer, just in time for use for the 2024-25 school year.
