At its April 15 meeting, the Maplewood Township Committee unanimously passed an ordinance setting 2025 fees for the Maplewood Community Pool — lowering the cost by 10% from last year’s fees for those who sign up for the early bird rates.
See the Pool Fee Ordinance here or download it below. (On April 1, the TC passed a separate Resolution setting fees for swim team, camps and swim lessons.)
“53 days! That is the amount of time until the pool is open!” said Deputy Mayor Malia Herman on April 15. Herman noted that residents could begin signing up for the early bird rates on April 16, starting at 10 a.m.
RELATED: Maplewood Pool Fees Could Be the Lowest in a Decade, Deputy Mayor Proposes
The new fees are the lowest in nearly a decade and are part of a multi-year effort by the township to make the pool more affordable and more accessible.
“When the pool at the high school closed [in 2016], many called on the town pools to step up,” wrote Herman in an email to Village Green. “And Maplewood has made several changes to the pool that address the community’s desire to expand access.”
Herman credited community members, particularly from the grassroots organization SOMA Justice, for championing swim equity, including advocating for lower pool fees and providing weekend swim lessons for children and adults.
Herman noted that there are four new Pool Committee members this year: Kareen Stephens and Sam Daley who were appointed on February 4 and Leontyne Harry and Tatiana John who were appointed on April 1.
RELATED: South Orange Pool Work on Schedule; But ‘Not a Lot of Room for Error’
“Sam is a high schooler and the Pool’s first youth member in the decade or so that I’ve been involved with the Pool Committee. Kareen is a new adult swimmer via the SOMA Justice Learn to Swim Program,” wrote Herman. “The two newest Pool Committee members, Leontyne Harry and Tatiana John, also learned to swim via the SOMA Justice Learn to Swim Program. (Maplewood allows the SOMA Justice Swim Program to use the town pool for lessons, which are paid for by private donations.)”
“This means that for the first time that I am aware of, at least in the last decade of my involvement on the Pool Committee, we have Pool Advisory Committee members who are themselves adult swim learners,” wrote Herman. “This is important because it underscores the fact that Maplewood is serious about swim equity and about making sure everyone in Maplewood has access to swim lessons.”
Additionally, Herman explained, Maplewood has:
- Removed the requirement that residents must be a pool member to sign up for swim lessons. Now, anyone can sign up for lessons, regardless of whether or not they pay the pool user fee;
- Opened the pool as a cooling center to ALL Maplewood residents during Essex County-declared heat waves;
- Created an adult learn-to-swim class — a class that is very popular and always sells out; and
- Scheduled swim lessons for kids on weekends to accommodate working parents. These lessons were offered last summer for the first time and completely sold out.
“Are there more things we can do? Absolutely,” wrote Herman.
Additionally, said Herman,”I give SOMA Justice a lot of credit for their Learn to Swim Program because they are offering lessons that the town doesn’t currently offer, such as private lessons and lessons for children with special needs.” Herman said community members should look for information coming soon regarding a SOMA Justice fundraiser for their Learn to Swim Program planned for June 7.
Early Bird opens for residents to sign up for the pool on April 16 and runs until June 2.
