Clark-Pleasant schools will implement new rules for swimming classes three months after a Whiteland Community High School student drowned in a school pool.
On May 16, Alaina Dildine, 15, was underwater for 52 minutes before she was pulled out of the high school’s pool. The Johnson County Coroner’s Office ruled her death an accident on May 30, and said she died from drowning after having a seizure.
Dildine’s parents, along with parents of incoming freshmen, have called on the administration to change the existing pool policy. The Dildine’s attorney, Steve Wagner of Wagner Reese, called the current pool rules list “rudimentary” and said it does not adequately guarantee student safety.
On Tuesday about 20 members of the public attended a special work session to give their input on new pool protocols. Parents sought to make sure students are accounted for at all times.
During the meeting, Niki Morrison, physical education department chair, and John Sincroft, head boys and girls swim coach, presented a working list pool policy and took suggestions from parents into account. Several of the rules directly address concerns previously brought up by parents after the report on the drowning investigation was released.
One of the changes would double the number of people supervising the pool. Instead of having two people at the pool, there would be four, including two instructors and two lifeguards whose only duty will be to watch students while they are in and near the pool, Sincroft said.
All students would also be assigned a pool partner, and if a pool partner is absent, a temporary partner will be assigned for the period. Attendance would be taken prior to entering and exiting the pool. There also would be a requirement for students with medical conditions such as epilepsy or narcolepsy to wear a flotation device unless a parent or guardian signs a release document, according to the document.
School officials also said they will also add staff before opening the pool this year. Those include hiring a qualified swim instructor as an additional staff member to the P.E. Department, hiring a swim assistant/lifeguard and also designating a primary student lifeguard for each class.
When parents questioned the responsibility required for a student to be a primary lifeguard, school officials clarified an adult lifeguard would also be watching students, along with the two swim instructors present.
New training and procedures will also be in place this coming school year, with teacher certification and training monitored and documented during Professional Learning Communities time. No swimming in P.E. classes will occur until all staff have current certification and training, according to the presentation.
Parents in the meeting wanted in writing that the two lifeguards would be required to keep their eyes on the pool at all times. Superintendent Tim Edsell said that would be included in the job description.
Another parent shared concerns about a drill that requires students to dive to the bottom of the pool to retrieve a brick. The drill is practiced so that if the student had to dive to the bottom of a pool to rescue someone they would be able to. Morrison said this drill would be conducted in the shallow end of the pool moving forward, and that will be put into writing.
Parents also requested they are informed about swimming activities ahead of time, and Morrison said she’d be able to send parents a weekly schedule.
School officials are also looking to add drowning detection technology. They are looking at a few different options and gathering quotes for items that can alert staff members if something goes wrong, Edsell said.
“We are exploring some options about technology. We’re looking at headbands and wristbands, (to put) monitoring in place,” he said. “We’re getting quotes for those and we’ll find the best course of action.”
There will be another work session as the pool policy is updated. The policy will also have to be approved by the school board. Both of these will happen before any students enter the pool for the 2023-24 school year, said Dave Thompson, a school board member.
“This is a work in progress, this is just our first presentation and this isn’t a final document,” he said. “We needed input and we can have another work session. The pool will not be open until we get it all ironed out and everything is documented.”
Administrators will publish a notice for the next public meeting on the school district’s website and on the BoardDocs school board portal prior to the meeting.
