After Maplewood Student's Drowning, Planner And Professor Say Kids Need Swim Lessons

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — "One late summer day in 2020, two weeks before his senior year would begin, a Black boy from Maplewood drowned," began an opinion piece published this past weekend in NJ.com, addressing the drowning of student Omar Hutchinson two years ago and questioning whether officials will offer more swim lessons to prevent future tragedies. The piece also questioned the closing years ago of the Columbia High School pool.

Hutchinson, a rising senior, died on Aug. 28, 2020.

At the time, Columbia High School Principal Frank Sanchez published a letter. "Our community stands with Omar’s family as they grieve this incomprehensible loss," he wrote in the message, posted in its entirety on Village Green at the time.

Khadijah Costley White, an associate professor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and Devyani Guha, an urban planner and architect, wrote a piece Sunday about the tragedy, saying kids need swim lessons and more pool access. The high school pool at Columbia High School had closed back in 2016, NJ.com said.

This summer, the township began a pilot program to offer low-cost swim lessons at the Maplewood community pool. (Read more here.)

But what about the schools and their pool?

School District Responds

The Board of Education intended to address school facilities in a meeting Monday night, said a district spokesperson on Monday.

"We are committed to faithfully bringing our community's investment in our school buildings to fruition as quickly and as safely as possible," she said. "Our current and previous boards have worked as part of the Board of School Estimate, to provide desperately needed funding to both expand our schools and improve our facilities from a health and safety perspective."

She added, "We of course understand and acknowledge the concerns around water safety and the disproportionate impact it has on under-represented members of our (and other communities)."

She said, "The district does not offer and is not offering swim lessons to students; South Orange and Maplewood township officials have discussed swimming accessibility/affordability for their local pools at their township meetings."

Of the Columbia High School pool, she said, "In 2013 the SOMSD school board voted to close it to student/public use due the unsafe and hazardous condition of the pool."

Presentation

At 7:30 p.m., the architects were to present the design of the CHS Commons space during the public session, as part of the long-range facilities update.

The presentation will be available on the board website after Monday's meeting.

More information is here: https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/board-of-education/board-meetings/

Have thoughts on this issue, or related news? Comment below or reach out to Maplewood Patch here.