Verona parents ask for VHS swim team

Verona school officials examined the best ways to approach a potential varsity swim team at the request of a group of parents.

Superintendent of Schools Rui Dionisio said he heard from local parents who said between 35 to 40 Verona High School students would be interested in joining a swim team, which the district does not currently offer. A program would cost between $50,000 to $55,000 to operate, Dionisio said. 

“It’s a very expensive sport,” he noted.

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Although parents offered to fund the program themselves, Dionisio said the concern is that could change down the road when students graduate and a different set of parents would then want the Board of Education to pay for it.

The high school lacrosse and ice hockey programs started as sports funded by parents but are now in the process of being paid for fully by the BOE.

Dionisio said they explored teaming up with other schools such as West Essex and Glen Ridge for co-op programs, but both districts had enough athletes already.

Varsity swimming is a winter sport in New Jersey.

Board of Education member Glenn Elliott said it could be a challenge but that swimming does appear to be popular in Verona. As an example, Elliott pointed to the high participation in the Verona Waves recreational swim team during the summer. 

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com