How School Districts Nationwide Can Build Water Safety for Students

From public pools to waterparks, children may spend their time away from school in some form of water. Although, it is crucial to remember the importance of water safety to prevent the risk of drowning.

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4, and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for elementary and middle school-aged children (ages 5 to 14), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Furthermore, after decades of decline, drowning deaths are on the rise in the United States, according to a CDC study released in May. More than 4,500 people died due to drowning each year from 2020–2022, 500 more per year compared to 2019.

A 2021 study by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago—which surveyed 1,505 parents from throughout the city—found the top three reasons parents did not register their children for swim lessons were cost (35 percent), not enough time (22 percent), and an inability to find lessons (21 percent). Other parents said they taught their kids to swim or didn’t send them to lessons due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CDC research says that Black people under the age of 30 have a drowning rate that’s 1.5 times higher than white people of the same age, and the rate is two times higher for American Indian and Alaskan native people.

Although swim initiatives have been introduced in some states, including New York and Florida, there are no statewide laws requiring elementary students to have swim lessons.

According to research from the American Academy of Pediatrics, formal swim lessons can reduce a child’s risk of drowning, and some districts see it as their responsibility to provide access to formal lessons.

Education Week spoke with school districts that have swim safety programs of their own, advocating for other districts to take ownership of water preparedness, and making a case for districts nationwide to require a swim safety curriculum.

Some school districts have swim safety policies to prepare students

The Lee’s Summit school district, just east of Kansas City in Missouri uses its own aquatic center to provide students with free access to swim lessons.

Since 2012, Float for Hope, funded by donations and revenue set aside each year, has enabled 2nd graders to enroll in a free session of swim lessons.

The program accepts donations from, “anyone wanting to make a financial contribution,” according to Kwasi Pryor, the district’s aquatic director.

Pryor said the district offers the free session to 2nd graders in the spring, right before the summer, so they are “at least acclimated to the water” before the summer break.

The district provides bus transportation from four of its Title I elementary schools to the aquatic center at no cost to students or parents. Parents pick up their children at the pool.

Pryor said he started the initiative to help students learn to swim at a young age, regardless of their financial status. He noticed parents who couldn’t afford lessons may not register their children, and he wanted to make lessons more accessible.

“This is something that needs to be instilled in the educational process. We don’t see swimming the right way as a society, as it [is] a life skill,” Pryor said.

Districts nationwide should place more emphasis on elementary students learning to swim, he said. Parents who did not learn how to swim when they were younger may not be inclined to sign their children up for swimming lessons.

“It’s really an initiative we should start putting out earlier. If parents know, they might do, but if parents don’t know, they won’t do,” Pryor said.

Starting swim lessons early reduces water fear and builds safety skills

Jennifer Lilintahl, co-owner of SafeSplash Swim School at Friendship Heights, Columbia Heights, and Rockville Pike in Maryland, says starting swim lessons as early as 4 months old is important for children to build a strong foundation in water safety and reduce their fear of water.

“[Children] don’t have that opportunity to necessarily develop a fear or aversion to the water because of frequent exposure,” Lilintahl said.

While Lilintahl believes children with constant water exposure from a young age are less likely to be scared of the water, she says it’s never too late to start lessons.

The Dallastown Area school district in Pennsylvania has provided a Learn to Swim summer program for district students from elementary to middle school for over 40 years.

The district sees about 800 students register every year, with paid instructors for each class, said Gina McHenry, the district’s aquatics director. The district offers reduced registration fees of $45 for district students, and $55 for out-of-district students. Registration includes eight lessons, following the American Red Cross curriculum.

In comparison, the Arthur J Glatfelter YMCA in York, Pa., offers youth swimming lessons for ages six to 12. Registration is $70 for members, $100 for non-members, and includes seven 45-minute classes.

The point is to teach water safety to children, keeping them, along with their parents, comfortable around the water, said McHenry.

“When I teach swim lessons, I’m not teaching to develop the next Olympic swimmer. I’m teaching to keep a child safe in the water and hope that they enjoy the water,” she said.

The district also requires students to participate in a middle school pool exploration program as a part of the physical education curriculum. The curriculum does not include formal swim classes, but if a student can’t swim, they will receive informal lessons during the class, McHenry said.

McHenry says some parents who may have had negative experiences in the water may feel the need to either encourage swim lessons with their child or avoid them altogether.

A study from the Accident Analysis and Prevention journal found that parents who experience a “close call” with drowning tend to show greater awareness of children’s drowning risk, endorsing more watchful and proximal supervision.

McHenry says there is a “socially driven” aspect to students taking swim lessons. When a student is the only one of their peers who can’t swim, they can feel left out, making it even more important for them to have the opportunity to learn alongside them.

The district in southern Pennsylvania is one of many in its region that offers Learn To Swim programs.

While the Dallastown Area schools all have pools, McHenry said, it is still possible for school districts nationwide, including those without pools, to have a swim program. Districts can also partner with recreational centers, she said.