An engineering assessment of the Grace Pool presented at the Freetown-Lakeville Regional School Committee meeting on Nov. 12 found multiple safety and equipment deficiencies and estimated a full restoration cost of $1,323,550.

Jack Higgins, who summarized the report, said the firm Aquatica Pools Inc. rated the facility "in fair to poor condition" and identified specific problems including a deteriorated stainless-steel gutter return, a hazardous pool equipment room that should be secured, undersized or aged filtration and recirculation systems, and a single main drain that does not meet the current two-drain safety expectations.

"Pool filtration and recirculation should be replaced," Higgins said, and he added that the $1,323,550 estimate "is at the high end" and includes optional work such as changing shallow/deep-end depths. Higgins and other committee members said the figure combines required code upgrades and additional recommended renovations.

Committee members asked for breakdowns of which work is required for code compliance versus optional improvements and for estimates of ongoing operating costs. A representative of the pool subcommittee said operational-cost questions are part of the subcommittee's charge and that more detailed answers were being compiled after follow-up with the engineering firm and consultants.

The pool subcommittee set a timetable for next steps: an initial report to the full committee no later than January and a complete report by April that will include cost details and recommended next actions. The committee did not vote on capital funding during the meeting.

What comes next: the subcommittee will review additional responses from Aquatica and other consultants, produce a prioritized scope of work distinguishing code-mandated repairs from discretionary improvements, and return with an initial report in January.