LA PLATA, Md. — Charles County commissioners on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, delayed action on a draft letter that would have asked Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) to remove an $18 million indoor pool from the La Plata High School renovation plan. Commissioners raised concerns about fairness, funding, and public messaging.
The proposed letter was introduced during a presentation by Recreation, Parks and Tourism Director Kelly Beavers, Fiscal and Administrative Services Director Jake Dyer, and County Administrator Debra Hall. It recommended removing the pool based on feedback that the “pools-in-schools” model no longer works.
That model was originally designed to give both students and the public access to swimming pools on school campuses. But Hall said that the arrangement no longer meets the county’s needs due to limited access and growing security concerns.
“As time has elapsed, having adults in the school system with children has presented significant security risks,” Hall said. “We can’t intermingle. And the result of that has really limited the amenity that the public is really seeking, which is full-time access to swimming pools.”
Currently, public swim times at the three CCPS indoor pools are generally limited to 3 to 9 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends, with even fewer hours available during the high school swim season.
According to the draft letter, early steps are underway to expand access. Beginning Dec. 1, 2025, the Donald M. Wade Aquatic Center at St. Charles High School will open for lap swimming on weekday mornings from 5:30 to 8:30 a.m. for five months during the school year. CCPS also plans to begin safety modifications at Lackey High School’s pool in summer 2026, with early morning swim hours expected to start in the 2026–27 school year.
To further address demand, the county is developing a Sports & Wellness Complex in Waldorf, which will include a full-size indoor pool with year-round public access. The facility, located at the former Sears building at St. Charles Towne Center.
Because of that investment, the draft letter asked the school system to remove the La Plata pool from its $181 million high school modernization project, which is currently in the design phase. Removing the pool would reduce costs by $18 million and free up excise tax bond funding for future school construction projects.
But several commissioners expressed concerns about removing a major amenity from a project in southern Charles County.
Commissioner Gilbert Bowling, who represents District 1, strongly opposed the idea. “I’m a little concerned that when we’re going to cut something, it’s going to be in a district that hasn’t had a new school in almost 40 years,” he said. “This would throw up a red flag on equity.”
He added that he supports separating the pool from the main school building for safety reasons but does not support removing it altogether. “I do think it needs to be separate from the school, but I think we need to find a way to make it work because there are a lot of families that deserve access to pools,” Bowling said.
Beavers told commissioners that while the $18 million cost to build the La Plata pool was clear, the county did not currently have the money to construct and operate both the Waldorf and La Plata facilities. “A standalone pool at La Plata would require full management and operations by the county,” she said. “So not just the money to construct, but the money to operate. And then both facilities require the funding to maintain. I don’t have the money. The county doesn’t have the money to finish construction of both and operate both.” She said the challenge was not about eliminating a resource but prioritizing capital projects and timing based on funding availability.
Commissioner Stewart also had concerns about the language in the draft letter. She specifically pointed to the section that read:
“Due to the county’s plans and efforts regarding the Sports & Wellness Complex, we are respectfully requesting that the funding for the LPHS indoor pool facility be removed from the CCPS FY2027–FY2031 CIP request. This will save our taxpayers $18 million while still addressing their need for additional access to aquatic facilities.”
Stewart said that wording could make it seem like the board was giving up on the La Plata pool completely. “When we approved the Sears building, it was to increase access to swimming,” she said. “At no time was part of that conversation, ‘If we build this, we can’t afford the La Plata pool.’ That’s not acceptable.”
Commissioner Amanda Stewart proposed a compromise: leave the pool in the La Plata High School renovation plans, but delay construction until funding is available. “The year may change, but the need doesn’t change,” Stewart said. “We have to keep the footprint in place.” Dyer explained that the current pool design is positioned next to the school building, and if the standalone pool is removed from the plan, the existing outdoor pool would remain. However, if the county still intends to build a standalone facility elsewhere on the campus, that space must be accounted for in the engineering design now.
Beavers supported the idea of continued collaboration and said she was open to revisiting the issue with CCPS leadership. “I’m open to a broader conversation about [Commissioner] Stewart’s idea, as well as bringing Dr. Navarro in to have the joint conversation around their position on it,” she said. “I feel we’re accurately representing it, but I’m open to the follow-up.”
Beavers also emphasized that the shift away from school-based pools is not about reducing access, but improving it — especially for those who need daytime options.
“We’re trying to provide greater access — to all people, all ages, all abilities — during the day,” she said. “Not just after 3 or after 5, after 6, when the swim teams finish.”
The board agreed to revise the letter. The new version will aim to preserve the pool in the site design, shift funding to a later year, and remove the language tying the project to the Waldorf Sports & Wellness Complex.
Watch the Dec. 9 Meeting: CCGTV
See the complete agenda packet for the Dec 9 meeting here.
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My children identify as indoor dolphins. It will be unfair if they don’t do it!
The jive 5 should be in jail for wasting most of our tax $$$! If they’d stop using it for their race based projects, the schools could afford to keep the pool! Next year, I hope they will not be reelected unless the residents become AOC minded.