SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Sioux Falls Parks and Rec has announced opening dates for the city pools this summer. Mark your calendars for Friday, June 3rd.
While the Drake Springs pool and others were open, Pioneer Spray Park, Frank Olson and the McKennan Wading Pool were closed last year due to a lack of lifeguards. This summer all Sioux Falls pools will be open.
“We are looking really good for hiring this summer to be able to staff all out pools, so we are looking really good, we’ve made offers to all the positions that we need,” said Parks and Rec Director Don Kearney.
Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation is still looking for summer workers.
Parks and Rec Director Don Kearney says the 2022 season comes with a wage increase for several positions, including lifeguards which will start at $16 an hour, up from $13.50 last year.
“The other thing that we are doing is being just a bit more flexible than we normally were to try to accommodate more of the kids’ schedules that are involved in a lot of activities and so between the additional wages, thanks to the support of the mayor and city council , we are able to offer more its much more attractive for these young people to be able to come work for us,” said Kearney.
There are probably a lot of reasons for last year’s lifeguard shortage, for example, parents not wanting their kids, who are lifeguards to be around a lot of other people during a pandemic.
Kearney says he and his staff are excited to be up to nearly full staff.
“To have all these lifeguards ready to go going into summer is really great for us, so when we open on June 3rd, it will be all pools open and everybody will be happy hopefully,” said Kearney.
Parks and Rec expect some attrition between now and opening day on June 3rd, so they are still hiring lifeguards and other positions.
