Simi High Water Teams Threatened : Aquatics: Students wanting to continue competing might have to transfer to Royal.

Simi Valley school officials are recommending that the swimming and water polo teams at Simi Valley High School be disbanded because the program has struggled and the pool where the athletes practice is facing funding problems.

Students from Simi Valley High School who want to continue competing in those sports would have to transfer to Royal High School, which has a stronger tradition in aquatics and is slated to keep its water sports, officials said.

For competitions and practice last year, both teams used the 50-meter pool at Community Park owned by the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District. The pool has been threatened with closure outside the summer months if more money is not found to operate it during the off season.

Consolidating the two schools’ teams would free some time at the pool for other money-making uses, school officials said. Meanwhile, the school district would pay at least the same amount as in the past for reduced use of the pool, officials said.

“Park and rec (officials) would be able to solicit other users during the time that Simi Valley High School used to practice,” which was during the early morning hours, said Leslie Crunelle, the school district’s director of secondary education and curriculum.

The board of the Simi Valley Unified School District tonight will consider the recommendation, but no action is expected immediately.

School officials have been negotiating with park district officials for a way to keep the pool open. The two sides are discussing whether the school district should pay more of the pool’s $108,000 annual operating cost. The school district now pays about $40,000 per year for use of the pool.

Another negotiating session is scheduled for Wednesday, officials said.

“In summer, we have always generated enough revenue to keep the pool open,” park district spokesman Rick Johnson said. “In fall, there has always been a marked decline.”

No one knows what would happen to the program at Royal if the pool is closed from September to June. The school district does not have an Olympic-size pool and a small pool at Simi Valley High has been dilapidated and inoperable for a few years, officials said.

More than 200 students are active in swimming and water polo at Royal, contrasted with about 60 at Simi Valley High, Crunelle said. Aquatics at Simi Valley High has been struggling for years, because of turnover in coaching and a lack of participation, Crunelle said.

The historic problems with swimming and water polo at Simi Valley High, coupled with the pool issue, make the programs reasonable targets for cutting, Crunelle said. If cut, the programs could be restored in the future, she said.

“Nothing is permanent,” Crunelle said.

Park district officials announced in April that state funding cuts could jeopardize their ability to keep the pool operating when use drops. The district’s $7-million budget could be cut by more than $1 million, officials said.

No matter what happens, the pool will stay open in the summer. Last year, there were more than 17,000 paid admissions during the summer months.