City pools close before Labor Day | Community Spirit

Spokane kids won't be able to spend their last summer days diving into the city's pools before school gets under way.

The city's six aquatic centers close on Saturday, leaving many people wondering : Why can't they stay open until Labor Day?

The city said the pools typically close before then for several reasons - budget, staffing and a drop in attendance come mid-August.

City pool patrons like Martyn Quinn wish he could be diving in for a few more days.

"I wish they would go right up at least until when the school kids go back on September 4th. I think that would be better if they opened for a little longer," Quinn said.

The city sets the pool's closing date a year in advance.

"We have staff that are either in college or high school and they are leaving, so the last few weeks it's usually a fight to keep enough staff and we are scrambling to keep enough people around," said Carl Strong,, the aquatics supervisor with the city's Parks and Recreation Department.

But just a few miles away at the Southside Aquatic Center, pool patrons like Don Cheney get to play around until Labor Day.

"We like it because I have family that's coming in town that weekend and we are planning on bringing them here," Cheney said.

Attendance at county pools is up 13% over last year. The attendance boost helps them stay open until September 3rd.

"This year we were lucky that all the stars aligned and we were able to do that," said Angela Simmons, the recreational manager for Spokane County,

For Cheney and his family, it gives them more time to savor Spokane's summer.

"They are going to squeak out every little bit of summer that they can before school starts," Cheney said.