The city’s pools are now set to open on July 5, after the Independence Day holiday weekend, officials said. However, it is unclear whether the district will be able to hire enough staff by then.
Pools operated by the Chicago Park District will open at least 11 days late because of a shortage of lifeguards, officials said Friday morning.Park District officials acknowledged to WTTW News that it had not been able to hire enough lifeguards to allow its 49 outdoor pools to open as scheduled on June 24, blaming a “national shortage” and “several other factors.
“Over the next week, we will continue to evaluate staffing numbers to determine a plan for summer pool operations,” according to a statement released by the park district. Michele Lemons, a spokesperson for the Chicago Park District, declined to tell WTTW News how many vacant seasonal lifeguard positions the district is trying to fill and how many permanent lifeguard positions are vacant. WTTW News filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain that data.
Efforts to boost the number of lifeguards with an advertising campaign and $500 signing bonuses failed to prevent the opening of the pools from being delayed. Lifeguards are paid $15.88 an hour, just slightly more than the city’s minimum wage of $15 per hour.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Philly plans to open 50 of 63 pools this summer amid lifeguard shortageFifty of Philly’s 63 public swimming pools are set to open over the next several weeks amid a national lifeguard shortage, parks and recreation commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell said Friday.
Read more »
50 Philadelphia City Pools To Open For Summer: Here's The Opening ScheduleIt's pool season🏊 26 city pools are scheduled to open by July 4 and the remaining 24 will open on a rolling basis between July 4 and 15. Check out the opening schedule⬇
Read more »
Lifeguard shortage will delay Chicago public pool openings until July 5, source saysDespite the record-breaking heat wave that has hit the city in recent days, Chicagoans will not be able to enjoy the cooling relief of public pools until July 5. Pools were expected to open for the summer June 24, but a lifeguard shortage across the nation has affected Chicago, too.
Read more »
Philly plans to open 50 of 63 pools this summer amid lifeguard shortageFifty of Philly’s 63 public swimming pools are set to open over the next several weeks amid a national lifeguard shortage, parks and recreation commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell said Friday.
Read more »