After years of closures and limited access due to the pandemic and staffing shortages, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department is setting an ambitious goal to open all 37 public pools.
This target comes after years of frustration for Houston residents. Empty pools greeted residents in 2020 due to COVID-19 shutdowns. While some reopening occurred, access remained limited. Last year, just 12 of the city’s 38 pools opened, which were only operational three days a week.
This year, however, there’s renewed hope. The sole exception will be the Tidwell Community Center pool, which is currently undergoing mandatory maintenance.
Equity Concerns Addressed
The push for full pool access goes beyond a simple desire for summer fun. A 2023 report by Houston Landing revealed a troubling trend. Their analysis showed a clear correlation between zip codes with open pools and higher median household income. Areas with operational pools boasted a median income 22% higher than those left high and dry.
The report highlighted a racial disparity. Neighborhoods without pools had a significantly lower white population (12.5%) than neighborhoods with pools (21%).
Opening all pools is reliant on a crucial factor: lifeguards. Ray Derouen Jr., the city’s aquatics manager, acknowledges this challenge. “We will know by mid-May” if enough lifeguards are recruited to staff all pools, slated to open Memorial Day weekend.
The department is offering a $500 bonus for lifeguards completing the summer season to incentivize recruitment. Starting pay is $16 an hour, increasing to $18 for head lifeguards and $20 for supervisors.
The city’s minimum age requirement to be a lifeguard is 16 by May 31—however, the state-sanctioned minimum is 15.
Mayor John Whitmire is clear on his administration’s priorities. “We are doing our best to recruit lifeguards and prepare all our pools,” he stated in a statement. “I see the value of children having the opportunity to swim… We are working hard to meet our goal.”
Derouen said that the city will choose which locations to open first based on historical attendance, equal representation among city council districts, and geographic dispersion if the parks department cannot hire enough staff to open all operational pools.