Draining the Talent Pool : Culver City High May Pull Plug on All Water Sports Because of Budget Cuts

Dietrich Brandt, searching for a sport in which he could excel, started swimming competitively three years ago as a freshman at Culver City High.

Although his success was not immediate, Brandt improved. Last month, he swam a leg on the school’s 200-meter freestyle relay team that set a record at the Southern Section 3-A Division meet.

Brandt is hoping that a successful senior season can guarantee a scholarship to a Division I college.

That dream is in jeopardy, though. Because of the school district’s $2-million budget cut, the indoor pool at Culver City High is scheduled to close this month. And because there are no immediate plans to reopen the pool, the school’s swimming and water polo teams probably will be disbanded.

Brandt has few options. He can transfer to a school with a swimming team and hope that he is granted a hardship waiver so he can swim his senior season, swim for a local club or quit the sport.

“I have good grades, and I am a good student,” Brandt said. “Swimming makes me more of an all-around student, though, and colleges seem to like those qualities. Swimming has become very important to me, and I don’t want to think what my life will be like without it.”

Brandt also belongs to the Culver City Swim Team, an amateur club that practices year-round. The team uses the school’s pool, so its future also is in doubt. Russ Matheson, the team’s president, said it will not be easy to find another nearby pool.

“Our team has been growing steadily the past few years, and we now have about 80 members,” said Matheson, who has two sons on the team. “I would hate to think we might have to call it quits because we don’t have a pool to practice in. It would be tough on the kids.”

Rumors of the pool’s closing surfaced in April, after the Culver City Unified School District announced plans to cut its budget. The district estimates costs of $178,000 a year to maintain and operate the pool. There are added costs in fielding the swimming and water polo teams.

Swimming and water polo were not the only casualties. Wrestling, track and field, the drill team, and a variety of junior varsity sports also are to be dropped.

District officials will present their proposed cuts to the school board for final approval June 18. Approval is expected.

“From a pure cost standpoint, deciding to close the swimming pool was an easy decision,” said Jim Crawford, director of business services for the district. “Aside from the cutting of some educational programs, the pool was probably the single biggest monetary cutback we could make. Looking down the road, we also anticipated the pool needing some repairs in the future, so the costs would be considerable.”

Although Crawford said all cutback decisions were made with great sorrow, they are indicative of a trend in the state this year. Most school districts are facing budget cuts, and many have targeted the elimination of some sports.

Said Culver City Principal Laura Plasse: “It’s really pathetic that we have to be in a situation like this. It’s very upsetting to me and the rest of the administration. All of the activities that are up for elimination are important to the educational process. I don’t know what a lot of our students are going to do without them. The whole thing is horrendous.”

The pool, seven lanes wide and 25 yards long, also is used by the school’s physical education classes. A local masters’ club also practices there.

The city operates an outdoor pool, but it is open only during the summer and is mostly for public use.

Brandt has been practicing in the pool regularly since the season ended three weeks ago and said he still cannot believe it will soon be drained and closed. He is hoping for a miracle.

So is Matheson. Since the pool closing was announced, he and several parents of swimmers from the club have been lobbying to keep the pool open. They have met with Curtis Rethmeyer, district superintendent, and several city officials.

Rethmeyer said there is no way the district can offer financial support, but he is not opposed to the city getting involved. Jack Nakanishi, manager of recreation and leisure services for the city, is working on a proposal that would have the city take over operation and maintenance of the pool.

“I’m putting together all the numbers right now, and we hope to make a presentation to the city council sometime soon,” he said. “I think that we can operate the pool on a tighter budget than it has been, so I’m reviewing cost-cutting measures now. I think there is some hope something can be worked out.”

Even if the city does find the necessary funding, Plasse said it is unlikely that the swimming and water polo teams will be reinstated. She said the district cannot afford to pay coaches, buy uniforms and pay transportation costs.

The elimination of the sports is especially tough for Nestor Dordoni, the coach of both teams for the last 10 years. Dordoni, a native of Argentina, turned the swimming team into a title contender. Culver City recently finished fourth in the Southern Section meet. Senior Erik Matheson, who finished second in the 50-meter freestyle, recently got a scholarship to Cal State Northridge.

“I think it is sad something like this could happen in this country,” Dordoni said. “We’ve had so much success over the years, and next year we were returning a lot of good kids. I can’t believe it all may be over.”

Although most of the athletes affected by the budget cuts probably will go without their sports, some are seeking alternatives. Brandt, for instance, might transfer to nearby Santa Monica High.

To be eligible for swimming at Santa Monica, Brandt and his family must either move into the district or get a transfer permit from Culver City. If they choose the permit, Brandt must enroll at Santa Monica and then wait for administrators there to file a hardship waiver with the Southern Section office. Stan Thomas, section commissioner, judges each of such cases on its merits, and there is no guarantee Brandt would be granted eligibility.

“The closing of the pool is really messing up Dietrich’s plans for next year,” said Debra Moorehead-DeRose, Dietrich’s mother. “But I mostly feel sorry for the younger kids who will never have the same chance to swim that Dietrich did. I’m worried they will miss out on a lot of good opportunities.”