GCS Board of Education approves new policy offering swim instruction to second graders

The Guilford County Schools Board of Education unanimously approved a new policy to provide second-grade students in the district with access to water safety instruction.

The policy specifically refers to the program, “Learn to Swim,” which was formed from a partnership with the school district and the Greensboro Aquatic Center in 2011.  

“The Guilford County Board of Education recognizes that learning water safety is critical for the health and well-being of our students, particularly considering racial disparities in drowning deaths in our nation,” the policy states. 

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights those disparities between 1999 and 2019. Drowning death rates among Black and Native American youth were two times higher on average than rates for white children. 

During the meeting on July 12, Board of Education Member T. Dianne Bellamy-Small said the new policy “delighted her heart," but reminded her colleagues that more students will require more instructors. 

“The challenge is going to be, everybody needs to remember, we need teachers,” she said. “We need people who want to spend three hours in a pool with second graders.”

According to the new policy, participants in the program will learn “potentially lifesaving” water safety skills, but also “improve overall health and fitness” through swimming. 

More than 10,000 students have graduated from the program since it was formed in 2011, according to the aquatic center's website. Last year's program had a record high participation rate with more than 2,000 students from 35 schools. 

Bellamy-Small said the aquatic center intends to add even more schools this year.

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.