Texarkana College and the Texarkana, Texas, Independent School District reached an agreement this week that should benefit both.
TC's pool at the Pinkerton Center was in need of repairs the college just couldn't afford. TISD needed the pool for its swimming program. So the district is expected to lease the pool for $10 a year and shoulder the responsibility for the repairs.
Final arrangements are pending a vote on the lease by the TC Board of Trustees and funding approval by the TISD board.
Those renovations are expected to cost about $2 million and could begin in February of next year, after the state swim meet. That may seem like a big chunk of change. But it's not money down the drain.
The TISD swimming program involves about 200 students in grades six through high school. The swimmers have racked up an impressive array of titles over the years. Right now, TC students can use the pool, and members of the public can pay a monthly membership fee to use it as well. But that will end when TISD takes over. That's the only downside we can see.
We hope the district will open the pool to other users after renovations are complete. That could be a source of revenue to pay for the obligations incurred in the renovations and provide a steady source of income for continued maintenance.
All in all, though, we see this as a win-win for both TC and TISD and wish them luck.