BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA -- Massena Central Board of Education members signed off on a new pool coordinator position for the 2024-25 school year.

Superintendent Ron Burke told board members the plan is to hire the new staffer by July 1 at the cost of a $3,057 stipend.

The vote brings resolution to a process that was slightly delayed when Burke requested more time to conduct research on the position this spring.

Burke said the position was necessary to ensure compliance by the district.

“When we are out of compliance, DOH has every right to shut our pool down. Just some of the compliance issues, we had a couple back in December during an inspection. We need to have two pool plan books. One is with the pool coordinator and one is at the pool itself. In that book, everything must be in order," he previously said.

Burke said beyond compliance duties the pool coordinator would also be handling scheduling as well.

Burke said it is also a matter of safety for everyone who wishes to use the pool, citing a near drowning experience that occurred while he was at Canton Central School District.

“We’re talking about the lives of children, the lives of community members. We need to make sure that we have dotted every I, crossed every T, that we have appropriate lifeguards, that the lifeguards know their roles, know what they can do, what they must do, where they’re seated, where they’re standing, what the attire is, because any one of those things go wrong and it’s a serious issue for a child who’s in the pool,” Burke said.

Burke said with the coordinator in place, safety and compliance will be a top priority and will ensure safety for everyone involved.