Sussex Academy pool offers hours and amenities

Sussex Academy is offering memberships to its new, eight-lane, state-of-the-art pool.

Starting April 1, Maria Edgerton, aquatics coordinator for the Sussex Academy pool, said the pool will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

There are several annual membership options: $500 for an individual, $700 for a family of five and $625 for a couple. Discounts will be given to senior citizens, students and residents with military IDs. Memberships paid before March 20 will receive deeper discounts that could drop an individual membership to $400, a family to $600 and a couple to $525. Drop-in fees are $10 for nonmembers and $8 for seniors, students and military. Edgerton says membership fees were priced to pay for the staffing, electricity, chemicals and maintenance needed to operate the pool. Sussex Academy swim team has morning practices, which allows for afternoon pool use, she said.

These fees may seem high compared with existing pools – $300 annual family membership at Howard T. Ennis pool in Georgetown and $180 for a family at Lake Forest High School pool – but Edgerton pointed out the pool is separate from the school. “We have to run the pool without funds from the state or federal government,” she said. It’s also difficult to compare prices because Sussex Academy's facility is brand new and will offer extended hours of operation, she said.

“You can't compare apples-to-apples when you compare our pool to others,” she said. “Our pool will be open for a lot more hours than others.”

So far, the Sussex Community Swim Team, which previously swam at the Howard T. Ennis pool, has signed on to swim at Sussex Academy. Delmarva Christian High School will also swim there, and the CHEER Center has rented pool time for exercise classes. Edgerton said she was unsure if other high schools will sign up to practice at Sussex Academy. Those that do would also hold swim meets at Sussex Academy during swim season.

Sussex Central and Indian River high schools both briefly swam at Sussex Academy this season when the Ennis pool was closed for maintenance. Sussex Tech swims at the Seaford Boys & Girls Club. Cape High swims at the Sussex Family YMCA in Rehoboth.

Edgerton said the school plans to offer swim lessons, lifeguard certification and exercise classes. She welcomes community input on programs.

The 8-lane pool offers extra-wide lanes, providing plenty of room for members, even if swim team practice or classes are being held, Edgerton said.

“The pool was built to be a community pool,” she said.

For more information, contact Edgerton at 302-856-3636 or maria.edgerton@saas.k12.de.us.