Usually, the Sunday before school starts is the last day to enjoy a dip in one of Boise’s seven public pools. (The indoors Aquatics Center located in the Downtown Boise YMCA is technically a Boise public pool, and is open year-round.) But in response to community requests, Boise is breaking tradition this year, keeping Borah pool open almost two weeks longer, and extending Ivywild’s hours through Labor Day weekend.
“From a cultural standpoint, it’s a fundamental summertime activity to have access to a public pool at a very inexpensive price,” says Doug Holloway, the Director of Boise Parks and Recreation.
He speaks of the importance of public pools, and says that they haven't been able to extend the season in the past because staffing is tricky when lifeguards go back to school. They figured it out this year, and they’ll be monitoring usage to make plans for next season.
“We’ll evaluate our attendance and what kind of usage we got through that period of time and then we’ll decide how we want to address it next year,” Holloway says.
For now, this means kids and kids-at-heart have a little more time to enjoy Borah and Ivywild. The extended season pool hours can be found on Boise Parks and Rec’s website.
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