Hempstead High School’s pool needs a whole new up-do. And, on June 11, the Dubuque Community School District school board voted to continue the design of the a new pool. The school board also approved on an $8 million pool located at Hempstead High School, with the partnership of Dubuque Area Swimming Hurricanes.

Dubuque Area Swimming Hurricanes, also known as DASH, has partnered with DCSD on building the new pool. DASH will be contributing $1 million to the renovations. After a long term partnership with Loras, DASH decided to look elsewhere for the chance to continue training their team of swimmers.

“I’m most looking forward to the new locker rooms because the  current locker room we use is disgusting!” Hannah Schiesl, ‘20, stated. Schiesl is a 5-year member of the DASH team. “I’m afraid to go in there because of the mold everywhere. It would also be nice to get new starting blocks along with having a new pool in general. The current pool leaks gallons of water a day, but nobody can seem to figure out where it goes. It’s about time that they’ve started talking about a new pool.”

In the next two years, the Dubuque Community School District plans to build a new, eight lane pool with many updated additions including locker rooms, a diving board, and more.

“I think Dubuque will benefit from building a new pool,” Adriana Schroeder, ‘18, said. “Hopefully, more parents will sign their kids up and introduce them to the wonderful sport of swimming. I think the kids will have a better outcome because they’ll want  to come to the new pool.”

The YMCA also had plans with the Dubuque Community School District and DASH to build a new water park, but those plans fell through. So, the YMCA will still continue to make plans for a new pool, even without the partnership of the two other groups.

“I’m most looking forward to the new fresh change, and maybe we will be known as the nice new pool everyone will want to swim at,” Schroeder added.