Construction is expected to close the high school pool from spring break through early August 2027.
Saline High School’s pool will undergo its first major renovation since the facility opened in 2004.
The Saline Area Schools Board of Education voted 6-0 on July 14 to approve a $3.33 million construction package. Board Vice President Jennifer Steben was absent.
The project will include new concrete and tile, updated heating, ventilation and dehumidification systems, electrical improvements and other interior renovations.
One of the biggest changes will be beneath the water. The pool’s movable hydraulic floor, which Executive Director of Operations Rex Clary said stopped working roughly two years after the facility opened, will be removed and replaced with concrete.
“It will not be a movable, adjustable floor anymore,” Clary said.
The movable bulkhead will need to be lifted and repositioned several times while crews refinish the pool, adding complexity to the project.
Clary said the work is fully funded through the district’s bond program and remains within budget.
“It’s all covered,” he said. “It’s within budget.”
Board member Darcy Berwick said she was “a little bit gobsmacked” by the cost and asked how often a pool requires renovations on this scale.
Clary said pools are highly corrosive environments that require significant maintenance. He pointed to Tecumseh, where the community pool was closed and slated for demolition because of structural concerns involving its roof.
In June, Saline approved a cooperative swim and dive arrangement that would allow Tecumseh students to join its program beginning in the 2026-27 school year. At the time, the agreement remained subject to Michigan High School Athletic Association approval.
Saline’s pool has not undergone a major renovation in more than two decades.
“This type of investment will keep it going for another 25, another 20 years,” Clary said.
The construction package includes $639,000 for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and plumbing, $585,000 for pool tile, $468,500 for pool systems and $344,788 for concrete work. It also includes contingency funding for unexpected conditions and other construction costs.
Construction is expected to begin during spring break in 2027, after the winter swim and dive season ends. The district hopes to reopen the pool around Aug. 10 in time for the fall athletic season.
Water polo teams may practice in Milan or make other arrangements while the Saline pool is closed.
Featured image: Rex Clary discusses the Saline High School pool renovation. Screenshot from the Saline Area Schools Board of Education livestream
114 North Main St Suite 10 Chelsea, MI 48118
