Confusion Over New Norwalk High Pool Cleared Up By City Officials

NORWALK, CT — While city and school officials continue to work out the details of plans for a new Norwalk High School this month, one thing was made clear Thursday: it will include a pool.

In a joint statement, Mayor Harry Rilling and Council President Tom Livingston said they wanted to clear up confusion about the inclusion of a pool in the project.

"We want to be clear, the city and Board of Education have always expected to include a pool in the project," the statement reads. "We all agree a community of our size, particularly a waterfront community, must have a swimming pool."

Rilling and Livingston noted a pool has been designed for both proposed locations for the new school, and funding for the new Norwalk High pool will be decided as the project progresses.

"This appears to have created the impression that there is a question as to whether the pool will happen," the statement reads. "We can assure the community that it will."

Rilling and Livingston said the state has committed to a 50 percent reimbursement for the pool, something state officials achieved specifically because of the importance of a pool to the Norwalk community.

"The reimbursement for a pool is extremely rare, and something we fully intend to take advantage of," the statement reads. "We are exploring multiple funding streams and are committed to including it in the project."

According to the Norwalk Hour, the Board of Education's Finance Committee was expected to decide between two potential construction options for the new Norwalk High School project Monday, however they forwarded both designs for the full school board to consider on March 15.