BROWNSTOWN
Summer break is winding down for local students, and that has shown in the attendance at Brownstown Pool.
During a Brownstown Park Board meeting Tuesday night, Pool Manager Jamie Temple said the number of people visiting the facility has been lower than expected.
She initially planned to stay open through Aug. 9, but she and the park board agreed to set the last day of the season at Aug. 2.
Brownstown teachers start the 2020-21 school year Aug. 6, and students begin Aug. 7.
Closing the facility after a pool party Aug. 2 will allow Temple, who is a teacher at Brownstown Elementary School, and her staff to close down the pool for the summer and have some time off before going back to school.
"I’m shocked we are already slow. I never thought we would already be slow at this point," Temple said, noting attendance was 30 an hour into opening Tuesday and the pool made $200 for the day.
Half that amount was made Monday, she said.
"Those aren’t very good days," Temple said. "It’s really odd that we are as slow as we are right now."
Board Vice President Paula Workman asked if it had to do with increased cases of COVID-19 in the state causing worry in people.
"I really don’t know because we’ve been getting so many people from out of town. We have not been getting our usual Brownstown crowd we have," Temple said. "I don’t know if it’s the passes (the pool didn’t offer season passes this year) or what it is. Weekends are a little busier, but I figured we would be swamped the last couple days, and we have not."
During its July 7 meeting, the park board set the closing date for Aug. 9 because members thought a pool party was scheduled for Aug. 7.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Temple said that party was canceled, but one was just added for Aug. 2. That’s the latest she has one on the calendar, so she and the park board decided to make that the closing date and not allow parties to be scheduled after that time.
Board Secretary Rachel Johnson said in making the decision to close earlier, she wanted to be respectful of the pool staff, which includes lifeguards and concession stand workers who rely on that as a summer job.
Temple said she already has the summer schedule done through Aug. 9, but she doesn’t expect any of the staff to be against closing a week earlier.
"I’ll have kids that week come in and help get things closed down," she said.
Board member Brian Isaacs said closing earlier should work more to the favor of Temple and Concession Manager Shannon McKeand as they prepare to head back to school. McKeand works at the high school.