When the girls` swim team at Conant High School in Hoffman Estates practices for the first time Monday, it won`t be at Conant.
About 75 percent of the high school pool`s surface broke off in chunks last week after contractors sandblasted the surface plaster, leaving the 25-yard by 25-meter T-shaped pool in need of emergency repairs.
Officials blame the original contractors, whose plaster filling didn`t adhere to the poured concrete before water was added, said Supt. Gerald Chapman. Over the years, the weight of the water has held the plaster sealing in place, he said.
Last month, the pools at Palatine and Schaumburg High School were sandblasted and repainted without incident.
The board has approved paying $32,000 to Jetco Ltd. of Prospect Heights to repair and resurface Conant`s pool. The work is expected to be completed by Sept. 1, a week after school starts.
In the meantime, the girl`s swim team will practice at their competitors` pools at Hoffman Estates or Schaumburg High Schools.
