The Lassen High School Swim Team needs your support to continue offering a vital program for our student-athletes. Our program allows students to learn discipline, build confidence, and foster friendships, all at no cost to them. This ensures that every student, regardless of their financial situation, can participate and grow as a swimmer. We are facing increased fees from Honey Lake Valley Community Pool, which threatens our upcoming season. Your donation can help us overcome this and keep our program running strong.
Why We Need Reform
It’s important for the board and city officials to understand that this is not a new problem; it is a recurring issue that has been neglected despite consistent community involvement. Two years ago, the community came together to save the fall season, there was even a third party nonprofit created for the pool, based entirely on information provided by Pool Manager Mrs. Rice. She told the board and community that the pool could not qualify for grants unless it was affiliated with a nonprofit. We believed her and dedicated time, resources, and our own money to form one. However, after consulting directly with grant writers, program administrators, and legal advisors, we found this claim to be false.
What became clear is that the manager's expectation was that outside entities would obtain grant funding and simply turn it over to the pool, with no partnership, oversight, or administrative cooperation. This was even publicly stated in a past board meeting: the community member would do the work and give the pool the money, but the pool would not be involved. Grant funding does not work that way. Because the nonprofit was not affiliated with the HLVRA, we could not legally confirm pool-specific spending or oversight, which made grant funding impossible.
In addition to the nonprofit, a group of dedicated volunteers came together to help facilitate fundraising. Multiple ideas were proposed and ready to implement, but each one was denied by the pool manager, and not a single board member voted to challenge her decisions. Despite this, the community still stepped up. We raised money, specifically to cover the added expense of the manager’s fall-season salary, so the pool could remain open. This was a huge show of faith in the board and management, and sadly, that faith has not been repaid.
Now, we’re seeing the same cycle repeat itself. The same solutions, season extension, fiscal restructuring, and program preservation, were presented then and are being presented now. The board has had more than two full years to prepare for May–October operation, and yet we are again facing program cuts and closed doors.
The pool cannot continue to prioritize inflated staff salaries over access for youth, seniors, and the broader community. This is not sustainable. It is not acceptable. And it is no longer going to be tolerated without accountability.
During the March 18, 2025, Honey Lake Valley Recreation Authority Board meeting, Mrs. Rice confirmed that the only outside cost associated with keeping the pool open during the shoulder seasons is her own salary. This means the board is knowingly prioritizing a single inflated administrative salary over valuable community programs, including student athletics, senior fitness, and water safety education.
Making this more concerning is the fact that since the pool opened, total pool revenue has only increased by 25% over the span of eight years. This signals poor financial growth and underperformance under current management, despite a growing and committed user base. Rather than cutting access and programming, the board should be looking seriously at reducing overhead costs and revisiting the pool manager's salary, which is clearly out of step with both the pool’s financial situation and the broader community’s needs.
Additionally, it has come to our attention that the current pool budget was originally built around a 3–4 month operating season. However, the pool has not followed this model for some time. If we are now operating closer to an expanded-season model, then the budget and all related documentation must be updated to reflect that reality, not only an inflated manager’s salary.
Public budgets must serve the public. The current system appears to be structured not for community benefit, but to preserve outdated spending habits and inflated salaries. It is time for the board to reevaluate priorities and ensure that public funds are being used to keep the pool open and accessible, not to maintain outdated budget structures that no longer serve this community.
​
The Lassen High School Swim Team is not just another extracurricular activity, it is a cornerstone of student health and connection in our rural Northern California community. Our town relies heavily on school sports and enrichment programs to support student engagement, mental wellness, and physical fitness. For many students the swim team is a lifeline. It offers not only a physical outlet but also a nurturing team environment where academic responsibility, peer relationships, and mental health are actively supported.
Swimming is one of the most effective full-body workouts, low-impact yet highly rewarding. The benefits go far beyond the physical. Last season, the swim coach brought in a licensed physical therapist to teach self-care practices and injury prevention, showing a clear commitment to a whole-child approach aligned with a Coordinated School Health model. The loss of this program would not just hurt athletic opportunity, it would take away a vital community-based intervention for youth wellness.
Moreover, participation in the swim team has opened doors to higher education. The Lassen High Swim Team provides student-athletes the opportunity to be seen by college recruiters. Just this year, two swimmers from the LHS swim team were recruited by Shasta College to swim on their team. It’s very likely that this opportunity would not have existed without their involvement in the high school program. By eliminating the team, we risk closing the door on future scholarships and collegiate athletic opportunities for our students.
​
One of the most troubling aspects of this situation is the complete lack of communication and collaboration between the pool administration and Lassen High School, despite the fact that the school has an active contract with the pool for the upcoming 2025 swim season.
No one from the pool board or management reached out to LHS to discuss or even notify them of the intent to eliminate fall season operations. The school had already scheduled its competitive swim season and had begun fundraising for equipment and supplies, based on good faith that the contract would be honored.
This is not a new issue. Two years ago, when the current contract was being discussed, the principal of Lassen High expressed his primary concern: that the pool would continue to operate during the fall season. It was never about funding, the school had the means to support its athletes. What concerned him most was the emotional and developmental fallout for students if the pool chose to back out of the contract and cancel operations last minute.
Now, that exact concern has become reality.
This is more than a scheduling issue, it damages student morale, breaks trust, and sends a harmful message to young people: that their programs are disposable. The students and families were promised that the pool would not do this again. The fact that the administration acted without transparency, outreach, or even a basic conversation with the school shows a failure to act as a responsible and engaged community partner.
Frankly, these are not the actions of a board or administration that should be trusted to manage a community resource. If our pool cannot even extend the courtesy of communication to our local high school, how can we expect responsible, community-focused leadership moving forward?
​
Beyond the high school program, the fall season is a critical time for continued public access to the pool. Our local elderly population relies on aquatic exercise classes for joint-friendly movement, social interaction, and overall wellness. Water-based exercise is often the only form of physical activity many of these individuals can safely participate in.
Likewise, swim lessons during the fall provide essential water safety education, prevent skill regression, and provide needed lessons for children who were not able to learn during the summer season or need to continue. In a region surrounded by lakes and rivers, swim education is not a luxury, it is a public safety measure.
Seasonal swim teams, community programs, family swim sessions, and therapy-based use all depend on the pool remaining open beyond the narrow window currently allowed. Closing during the fall cuts off these vital resources, even though demand and need remain.
​
The high school has funding allocated for its use of the facility. The community has shown up in meetings, sent letters, and offered volunteer support. The closure is not a result of lack of use or value, rather, it appears to stem from poor administrative planning and inflated staff costs. Cutting programs that serve youth, seniors, and families should not be the default solution to budget challenges.
I am proposing a reform of the pool’s Joint Powers Authority (JPA) and manager’s salary, where local oversight could help reduce administrative overhead and redirect funds toward programming and access. This could allow the pool to remain open in the shoulder seasons and restore community trust and involvement.
​
The board’s decision is not just about months on a calendar, it’s about opportunities lost for student athletes, safety education withheld from children, and wellness programs stripped from our elders. By closing the pool in the fall, you are removing a hub of community health, engagement, and growth. You are removing a path to higher education and leadership development for our youth.
We urge you to reconsider. Keep the pool open for the fall. Preserve the Lassen High Swim Team. Prioritize programs that build up our community, not remove access to them.
The Lassen High School Swim Team:
A Vital Youth Wellness Program
Breach of Community Partnership & Impact on Students
Community Impact: Seniors, Swim Lessons, and Year-Round Engagement
There Are Better Solutions
What’s at Stake
It’s important for the board and city officials to understand that this is not a new problem; it is a recurring issue that has been neglected despite consistent community involvement. Two years ago, the community came together to save the fall season, there was even a third party nonprofit created for the pool, based entirely on information provided by Pool Manager Mrs. Rice. She told the board and community that the pool could not qualify for grants unless it was affiliated with a nonprofit. We believed her and dedicated time, resources, and our own money to form one. However, after consulting directly with grant writers, program administrators, and legal advisors, we found this claim to be false.
What became clear is that the manager's expectation was that outside entities would obtain grant funding and simply turn it over to the pool, with no partnership, oversight, or administrative cooperation. This was even publicly stated in a past board meeting: the community member would do the work and give the pool the money, but the pool would not be involved. Grant funding does not work that way. Because the nonprofit was not affiliated with the HLVRA, we could not legally confirm pool-specific spending or oversight, which made grant funding impossible.
In addition to the nonprofit, a group of dedicated volunteers came together to help facilitate fundraising. Multiple ideas were proposed and ready to implement, but each one was denied by the pool manager, and not a single board member voted to challenge her decisions. Despite this, the community still stepped up. We raised money, specifically to cover the added expense of the manager’s fall-season salary, so the pool could remain open. This was a huge show of faith in the board and management, and sadly, that faith has not been repaid.
Now, we’re seeing the same cycle repeat itself. The same solutions, season extension, fiscal restructuring, and program preservation, were presented then and are being presented now. The board has had more than two full years to prepare for May–October operation, and yet we are again facing program cuts and closed doors.
The pool cannot continue to prioritize inflated staff salaries over access for youth, seniors, and the broader community. This is not sustainable. It is not acceptable. And it is no longer going to be tolerated without accountability.
During the March 18, 2025, Honey Lake Valley Recreation Authority Board meeting, Mrs. Rice confirmed that the only outside cost associated with keeping the pool open during the shoulder seasons is her own salary. This means the board is knowingly prioritizing a single inflated administrative salary over valuable community programs, including student athletics, senior fitness, and water safety education.
Making this more concerning is the fact that since the pool opened, total pool revenue has only increased by 25% over the span of eight years. This signals poor financial growth and underperformance under current management, despite a growing and committed user base. Rather than cutting access and programming, the board should be looking seriously at reducing overhead costs and revisiting the pool manager's salary, which is clearly out of step with both the pool’s financial situation and the broader community’s needs.
Additionally, it has come to our attention that the current pool budget was originally built around a 3–4 month operating season. However, the pool has not followed this model for some time. If we are now operating closer to an expanded-season model, then the budget and all related documentation must be updated to reflect that reality, not only an inflated manager’s salary.
Public budgets must serve the public. The current system appears to be structured not for community benefit, but to preserve outdated spending habits and inflated salaries. It is time for the board to reevaluate priorities and ensure that public funds are being used to keep the pool open and accessible, not to maintain outdated budget structures that no longer serve this community.
The Lassen High School Swim Team: A Vital Youth Wellness Program
The Lassen High School Swim Team is not just another extracurricular activity, it is a cornerstone of student health and connection in our rural Northern California community. Our town relies heavily on school sports and enrichment programs to support student engagement, mental wellness, and physical fitness. For many students, including my own daughter, the swim team is a lifeline. We even transferred schools specifically so she could participate in this program. It has offered her not only a physical outlet but also a nurturing team environment where academic responsibility, peer relationships, and mental health are actively supported.
Swimming is one of the most effective full-body workouts, low-impact yet highly rewarding. The benefits go far beyond the physical. Last season, the swim coach brought in a licensed physical therapist to teach self-care practices and injury prevention, showing a clear commitment to a whole-child approach aligned with a Coordinated School Health model. The loss of this program would not just hurt athletic opportunity, it would take away a vital community-based intervention for youth wellness.
Moreover, participation in the swim team has opened doors to higher education. The Lassen High Swim Team provides student-athletes the opportunity to be seen by college recruiters. Just this year, two swimmers from the LHS swim team were recruited by Shasta College to swim on their team. It’s very likely that this opportunity would not have existed without their involvement in the high school program. By eliminating the team, we risk closing the door on future scholarships and collegiate athletic opportunities for our students.
Breach of Community Partnership & Impact on Students
One of the most troubling aspects of this situation is the complete lack of communication and collaboration between the pool administration and Lassen High School, despite the fact that the school has an active contract with the pool for the upcoming 2025 swim season.
No one from the pool board or management reached out to LHS to discuss or even notify them of the intent to eliminate fall season operations. The school had already scheduled its competitive swim season and had begun fundraising for equipment and supplies, based on good faith that the contract would be honored.
This is not a new issue. Two years ago, when the current contract was being discussed, the principal of Lassen High expressed his primary concern: that the pool would continue to operate during the fall season. It was never about funding, the school had the means to support its athletes. What concerned him most was the emotional and developmental fallout for students if the pool chose to back out of the contract and cancel operations last minute.
Now, that exact concern has become reality.
This is more than a scheduling issue, it damages student morale, breaks trust, and sends a harmful message to young people: that their programs are disposable. The students and families were promised that the pool would not do this again. The fact that the administration acted without transparency, outreach, or even a basic conversation with the school shows a failure to act as a responsible and engaged community partner.
Frankly, these are not the actions of a board or administration that should be trusted to manage a community resource. If our pool cannot even extend the courtesy of communication to our local high school, how can we expect responsible, community-focused leadership moving forward?
Community Impact: Seniors, Swim Lessons, and Year-Round Engagement
Beyond the high school program, the fall season is a critical time for continued public access to the pool. Our local elderly population relies on aquatic exercise classes for joint-friendly movement, social interaction, and overall wellness. Water-based exercise is often the only form of physical activity many of these individuals can safely participate in.
Likewise, swim lessons during the fall provide essential water safety education, prevent skill regression, and provide needed lessons for children who were not able to learn during the summer season or need to continue. In a region surrounded by lakes and rivers, swim education is not a luxury, it is a public safety measure.
Seasonal swim teams, community programs, family swim sessions, and therapy-based use all depend on the pool remaining open beyond the narrow window currently allowed. Closing during the fall cuts off these vital resources, even though demand and need remain.
There Are Better Solutions
The high school has funding allocated for its use of the facility. The community has shown up in meetings, sent letters, and offered volunteer support. The closure is not a result of lack of use or value, rather, it appears to stem from poor administrative planning and inflated staff costs. Cutting programs that serve youth, seniors, and families should not be the default solution to budget challenges.
I am proposing a reform of the pool’s Joint Powers Authority (JPA) and manager’s salary, where local oversight could help reduce administrative overhead and redirect funds toward programming and access. This could allow the pool to remain open in the shoulder seasons and restore community trust and involvement.
What’s at Stake
The board’s decision is not just about months on a calendar, it’s about opportunities lost for student athletes, safety education withheld from children, and wellness programs stripped from our elders. By closing the pool in the fall, you are removing a hub of community health, engagement, and growth. You are removing a path to higher education and leadership development for our youth.
We urge you to reconsider. Keep the pool open for the fall. Preserve the Lassen High Swim Team. Prioritize programs that build up our community, not remove access to them.