Fels pool is still a go,
school district says

By Diane Prokop
Times Staff Writer

Oxford Circle residents can plan on bringing their beach towels to the new Samuel Fels High School after its projected September 2009 opening.
Despite contradictory statements last month by those involved with its construction, the swimming pool remains part of the $68 million project to replace the cramped and outdated school at Algon and Devereaux avenues, according to Fred Farlino, the School District of Philadelphia’s interim chief operating officer.
Former school district CEO Paul Vallas had promised community members at a November 2004 meeting that they would have access to the pool as one of the perks that came along with the new facility.
Construction began earlier this year on the 250,000 square-foot building on the site of the old John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, 5500 Langdon St. While district officials considered pulling the pool due to budgetary issues, they never got close to actually doing so, Farlino said.
"It was never not there. Did it cross our mind that maybe this is a nine million dollar savings? Yeah, it did. But it never panned out," Farlino said.
Due to budget constraints, the district asked capital programs director Pat Henwood to try to stretch the district’s money a little further.
"We went out to the site and wrote a letter to the developer and said, ‘Stop what you’re doing. We want to analyze this.’ We spent a little bit of time looking into cost. When you think of a pool, you think every kid should have that experience in their school, but there are schools in our city that are in need of basic repair. A pool sometimes can appear to be superfluous," Farlino said.
The district discovered the savings would amount to approximately $1.5 million.
"It was not even worth thinking about it but it was something we felt we had the obligation to review. That’s when it sort of got out of control. By the time we sent that letter, everybody panicked. It got out to the public that we stopped the pool, and that’s just not true. We had never stopped it," Farlino said.
Farlino stressed that there was never an attempt to cover anything up — just an act of due diligence in trying to save money.
School Reform Commission member Martin Bednarek was "relentless with us to make certain that the community gets what they were promised. He made that clear to me in very clear terms. Certainly he was behind the pool every step of the way, and when he found out there was some chance that this pool was not going to happen...it took a little bit to calm him down," Farlino said. ••
Reporter Diane Prokop can be reached at 215-354-3036 or dprokop@phillynews.com