Morton East’s pool is back in business.  Here are some thing you should know.  

In a random survey of 100 Morton East students, 60 students reported that they can swim. But on average 17% of Americans don’t know how to swim. Every year in the U.S, approximately 3,700 people die from unintentional drowning. Nearly 900 of them are children and adolescents ages 0 to 19.  

“I feel like it’s a good opportunity for people to have some practice with swimming,” Senior Carlos Mendoza said.  

Some students have positive opinions about the pool opening; others negative. 

 “I feel I should not be required because it will make people feel self-conscious about their bodies,” Senior Leo Lopez Said.  A teacher has a funny story about the pools’ past.  

“Back when my father was in this school before the gym was coed the guys had to swim naked,” Mr. Asay said.

After not being available the pool is finally open again for classes. Here are the facts to why the pool was closed with some other facts about the pool.  

“We were replacing the old filters system with new ones as the pool is 57 years old,” Rob the head maintenance said.

It wasn’t as easy as replacing a filter with a new one. 

“Getting the new system delivered (wasn’t easy); everything was back ordered,” Rob the head maintenance said. 

Maintaining the pool poses some challenges as well.  

“It varies on the use of the pool, but vacuuming the pool takes the longest,” Rob the head maintenance said.

That’s because East’s pool is large.  

“The pool is 45ft wide by 75ft long; the pool depths are from 4ft to 14ft, so we keep the pool at 80 degrees Fahrenheit,” Rob, the head of maintenance, said.