The Administration recommends that the Board of Education authorize The School District of Philadelphia, through the Superintendent or his designee, to execute and perform an Agreement, as follows:

With:

The City of Philadelphia

Purpose:

To collaborate on the re-opening of the Sayre Pool and its subsequent operation as a community resource by Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.

Start date: 7/1/2023

End date: 6/30/2026

Value of Services not to exceed: $TBD

Location:

Sayre Pool at 5825 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19139 (near Sayre, William L. High School)

Description:

The School District of Philadelphia (District) is seeking to partner with The City of Philadelphia (City) to re-open the Sayre Pool which has been closed since 2017. The total project cost to re-open the Sayre Pool is estimated at $14,978,750. This figure, which was updated in April 2023, includes all items necessary to make the facility fully functional and in compliance with building code requirements. It is also included in the District’s proposed Capital Budget for Fiscal Year 2024 and Six-Year Capital Program for Fiscal Years 2024-2029.

The proposed Agreement with the City will confirm the District’s and City’s shared financial commitment to the estimated project costs to re-open the Sayre Pool. The City has committed $3,000,000 for the project and funding from other sources are also possible to offset the District’s commitment to the balance of the total project cost.

In addition, the Agreement will outline the terms and conditions of a lease agreement for the ongoing operation of the Sayre Pool by Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (PPR). While the District would retain ownership of the property, PPR will staff the building, run all pool-related programming, and be responsible for general maintenance and upkeep of the facility. However, the District would be responsible for any larger capital improvements to the building. The District will have rights of first refusal to use the pool at specified times from mid-November through mid-March each year. The District will also be able to use the pool at additional dates and times upon mutual agreement.  The lease agreement will commence upon the re-opening of the Sayre Pool with the specific term length to be determined although all parties intend for PPR to operate the Sayre Pool for multiple years.