After a decadeslong push for an official district pool, Eanes ISD has moved another step closer to opening its $10.3 million aquatic center.

Though the facility was officially added to a bond package for the district in 2019, stakeholders within the district have been seeking an inroad for a new swimming and diving pool for several years, according to Claudia McWhorter, EISD’s executive director of communication and community engagement, via a June 23 press release.

In June the board of trustees finalized a contract officials said will result in significant cost savings for the district.

Construction on the facility is slated to begin immediately at a tract of land east of Loop 360 and west of Camp Craft Road. Funds were approved by more than 80% of voters through the $80 million 2019 bond program.

In an effort to minimize the budgetary impact to the district, board members brokered a third-party contract with a WAQUA LLC to cover all operational costs associated with the facility, according to the release.

In March, the EISD board of trustees discussed the five-year contract proposal that indicates WAQUA will adhere to all operational guidelines outlined by the district. The contract also provides for profit sharing as well as cost-sharing opportunities for certain design upgrades.

“Not only will our students and community benefit from this facility, but to operate at a cost-neutral basis is a huge win for our constituents,” Superintendent Tom Leonard said in the release.

The facility will be utilized by the Westlake High School swimming and diving program and various middle school swim programs. It will also provide community access for swim lessons and rentals.

The aquatics center was one of three extracurricular facilities included in the 2019 bond. EISD will begin construction on a $2.3 million wrestling facility and a renovation of the district’s existing robotics center totaling $2.91 million.

In March, EISD Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Trimble announced a goal to have all three facilities fully operational by the 2021-22 school year.