CHICAGO — Some city pools will open next week, but there will be some limitations due to the ongoing lifeguard shortage.
In total, the city has 77 public pools and come July 5, less than half of them are opening back up. The official reopening date for city pools is July 5, which district officials rescheduled from June 2. City beaches opened as planned on May 27.
As a result of a staffing shortage, district officials have increased the incentive for new and existing lifeguards. New hires will receive a $600 recruitment bonus and a $500 referral for existing park district employees.
The pool at Portage Park is one of those 37 neighborhood pools that will be opening next Tuesday. In doing so, the park district announced access will be limited to some beaches because of a lifeguard shortage.
In a press release, the park district announced they were only able to hire 55% of the lifeguards needed to open facilities this summer. Because of this, they said portions of Calumet Beach and North Avenue Beach will be closed. Swimming at 12th Street Beach will be prohibited. this will then allow them to move lifeguards to the pools.
According to the Chicago Park District, the pools that are scheduled to open were selected based on things like geographical location, staffing requirements and availability, pool usage, capacity and access to public transportation.
Most pools will be open five days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. A total of 21 beaches will remain open through Labor Day.
The park district says they continue to actively recruit lifeguards. The current hourly wage for lifeguards is $15.88 an hour.
In order to be considered for the job, applicants must be 16 years of age, be fully vaccinated, pass a skills test and be properly certified.
For more information on how to become a Chicago lifeguard, visit the Chicago Park District website.
The following pools will be opening next week:
- Austin Town Hall Park, 5610 W. Lake St. in the Austin community
- Avalon Park, 1215 E. 83rd St. in the Avalon community
- Avondale Park, 3516 W. School St. in the Avondale community
- Blackhawk Park, 2318 N. Lavergne Ave. in the Belmont Cragin community
- California Park, 3843 N. California Ave. in the Irving Park community
- Carver Park, 939 E. 132nd St. in the Riverdale community
- Chase Park, 4701 n. Ashland Ave. in the Uptown community
- Davis Square, 4430 S. Marshfield Ave. in the New City community
- Douglass, 1401 S. Sacramento Ave. in the North Lawndale community
- Eckhart Park, 1330 W. Chicago Ave. in the West Town community
- Ellis Park, 3520 S. Cottage Grove Ave. in the Douglas community
- Fernwood Park, 10436 S. Wallace Ave. in the Roseland community
- Fosco Park, 1312 S. Racine Ave. in the Near West community
- Foster Park, 1440 W. 84th St. in the Auburn Gresham community
- Gompers Park, 4222 W. Foster Ave in the North Park community
- Hale Park, 6258 W. 62nd St. in the Clearing community
- Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72nd St. in the Englewood community
- Hayes Park, 2936 W. 85th St. in the Ashburn community
- Holstein Park, 2200 N. Oakley Ave. in the Logan Square community
- Homan Square Park, 3559 W. Arthington in the North Lawndale community
- Humboldt Park, 1400 N. Humboldt Blvd. in the Humboldt Park community
- Kennedy Park, 11320 S. Western Ave. in the Morgan Park community
- Lafollette Park, 1333 N. Laramie Ave. in the Austin community
- Lindblom Park, 6054 S. Damen Ave. in the West Englewood community
- Mann Park, 3035 E. 130th St. in the Hegewisch community
- McGuane Park, 2901 S. Poplar Ave. in the Bridgeport community
- McKinley Park, 2210 W. Pershing Rd. in the McKinley Park community
- Nash Community Center Park, 1833 E. 71st St. in the South Shore community
- Norwood Park, 5801 N. Natoma Ave. in the Norwood Park community
- Ogden Park, 6500 S. Racine Ave. in the West Englewood community
- Piotrowski Park, 4247 W. 31st St. in the South Lawndale community
- Portage Park, 4100 N. Long Ave. in the Portage Park community
- Pulaski Park, 1419 W. Blackhawk St. in the West Town community
- River Park, 5100 N. Francisco Ave. in the Albany Park community
- Shabbona Park, 6935 W. Addison Ave. in the Dunning community
- Taylor Park, 39 W. 47th St.in the Grand Boulevard community
- Trumbull Park, 2400 E. 105th St. in the South Deering community
