JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The City of Jacksonville operates 33 public pools. Only half are open right now. Seventeen are closed due to lifeguard staffing shortages and maintenance and/or repairs, according to the city. There are 114 lifeguard vacancies.
The following pools are closed:
R= Repair/Maintenance
S=Staffing
- Baldwin Middle/High School---- (R) 345 Chestnut St.
- Robert Kennedy Pool---(R) 1139 Ionia St.
- San Souci Pool (Adolph Wurn Park) (R) 2115 Dean Road
- Terry Parker High School---- (R) 7301 Parker School Road
- Carvill Park Pool --- (S) 8793 Carvill Ave.
- Charles Clark Pool --- (R/S) 8793 Sibbald Road
- Ed White High School ---(R/S) 1700 Old Middleburg Road
- Emmett Reed Pool --- (R) 1093 Sixth St.
- Englewood High School --- (R/S) 4412 Barnes Road
- Eugene Butler Pool --- (S) 900 Acorn St.
- Golfair Park Pool (C.T. Brown) ---(R/S) 4415 Moncrief Road
- Highlands Middle School --- (R/S) 10913 Pine Estates Road
- Mallison Park Pool --- (R/S) 3133 Lenox Ave.
- Paxon High School --- (R/S) 3239 West Fifth St.
- Raines High School --- (R/S) 3663 Raines Ave.
- Sunny Acres Pool---Overall Park renovation project to create a destination location for citizens with disabilities. (R/S) 2850 Wompi Dr.
- Woodland Acres Pool --- (R) 8200 Kona Ave.
A city spokesperson said Woodland Acres pool should be back open by this weekend: "During the first week of pool season, we experienced inconsistent chlorine levels at Woodland Acres Pool. Inconsistent chemical levels even for a short amount of time has caused algae to develop throughout parts of the pool floor. We are also currently taking steps to remove any algae that has developed within the pool. While our pool service mechanics have worked continuously to troubleshoot the cause of this issue we have also been working to replace, repair, and recalibrate parts and settings within our pool chemical controllers to correct this issue as soon as possible. The pool will be closed for the next few days while this issue is resolved. The goal is to have Woodland Acres Pool back open by this weekend to the public."
Karen Meece has been bringing her kids to city pools for 20 years and hasn't seen anything like this.
“It’s a family atmosphere," Meece said, "and I hate that the kids aren’t being able to have that experience. I hate that the kids in the neighborhoods where these pools are at, they don’t have a fun place to go in the summer to cool off and swim and hang out.”
Sunny Acres Pool is shuttered, too. Officials said it's a "renovation project to create a destination location for citizens with disabilities."
Meece said community pools are particularly important in this area because they offer swims lessons.
“Especially in Jacksonville because there’s so much water," Meece said, "and I feel like it needs to be accessible to parents who cannot afford to pay the outrageous fees that are charged to teach water safety.”
Meece said it’s been hard to get updated information on pool closures.
“You could call a million phone numbers," Meece said, "and still not get a call back as to where is the breakdown in the system that these pools cannot be opened to the public.”