Plans are in the works for the Wittenberg-Birnamwood School District to expand hours at the fitness center in the wake of having to cut back hours at the pool due to the shortage of lifeguards.
A formal proposal will come before the Wittenberg-Birnamwood School Board in January, but Superintendent Garrett Rogowski brought up the idea to the board at its Dec. 16 meeting as a method for helping the public get needed services from the district.
Currently, the fitness center hours on the district’s website say it’s open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. However, those hours have been in flux due to the pool not being able to be open as much. Rogowski said other school districts have expanded availability of their centers.
One concern is that bathroom facilities in the locker rooms would not be available during expanded hours because the locker rooms provide direct access to the pool area, which would be closed. Rogowski said the district is looking at gating off the locker room access during that time.
“I think that would be a nice resource to have and to offer,” Rogowski said of the fitness hours expansion.
He noted that janitorial staff is on duty until 9:30 p.m. during the week to curtail fitness center users from accessing the pool area, but after that, it would be an issue.
Board member Jessica Whitewing-Clark said she has no problem with the restricted locker room access as long as users are aware of it prior to using the fitness center.
Board member Trevor Szutkowski recommended making sure the expanded hours included earlier access in the mornings. There was no discussion about expanded hours on the weekends.
“That would be flexible, because we’re tight on hours right now,” Szutkowski said.
Rogowski said that the fitness center does not have the kind of oversight that the pool does, and patrons of the fitness center are already aware that they have to work out at their own risk.
“That’s what we’re seeing at other schools right now,” Rogowski said. “Tigerton requires you to sign a waiver. There’s not adult supervision at all times or manning the desk. My experience in there is that the people who are using it use it for the right reasons.”
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
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