Some Johnson County cities are starting this week to close pools for the season or shorten open hours as the season winds down.
After all, classes start for all six Johnson County public school districts next week, reducing the number of kids available for daytime swimming, cities say.
Plus, college students are about to head back to school themselves, taking away a large chunk of local cities’ lifeguard and swim instructor workforce.
“We always love having the pools open, and it’s tough to acknowledge the end of summer when they do close for the season,” said Doug Donahoo, Shawnee’s communications director.
Here’s a look at what’s happening in your city:
De Soto
- The De Soto Aquatic Center, located at 32907 W 84th St., will stay open through Sunday, Aug. 31.
- Beginning Monday, Aug. 11, the pool will have adjusted hours, opening only on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:30 to 6 p.m., said Whitney Lange, communications director.
- On Sunday, Aug. 10, the pool will have free admission as part of De Soto’s Aquatic Center Appreciation Day.
- To close out the summer, the city will hold its annual Doggie Plunge event on Monday, Sept. 1.
Fairway
- Fairway Pool, at 6136 Mission Road, will stay open through Labor Day.
- Beginning Monday, Aug. 11, the pool will have adjusted hours, opening only on Fridays from 4 to 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., said Brice Soeken, director of parks and recreation.
Gardner
- The Gardner Aquatic Center, located at 215 N. Center St., is open through Labor Day.
- However, starting this week, the pool is only open on the weekends from noon to 5 p.m., said Daneeka Marshall-Oquendo, communications manager.
Leawood
- The Leawood Aquatic Center, at 10601 Lee Blvd., is open through Labor Day.
- Leawood will start shortening its summer hours on Tuesday, Aug. 12, offering Tuesday and Thursday swim hours from 4 to 7 p.m. and weekend hours from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., said Beth Breitenstein, the city’s strategic communications director.
- The city will hold a Soggy Doggy Swim Time event at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 2. Register your dog to swim here.
Lenexa
- Lenexa’s Flat Rock Creek Pool, at 13120 W. 103rd St., closed for the summer this past weekend. Ad Astra Pool, at 8265 Maurer Road, was closed this entire summer for a rebuilding project.
- Sar-Ko-Par Aquatic Center — at 8801 Greenway Lane — will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. on Fridays and from noon to 8 p.m. on the weekend beginning next week, said Denise Rendina, director of communications.
- On Labor Day, Sar-Ko-Par pool will be open from noon to 6 p.m.
Merriam
- Merriam’s outdoor pool at 6040 Slater St. will start having reduced hours on Monday, Aug. 18, open from 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays, from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays, said Caitlin Gard, assistant city administrator.
- The final day of outdoor swimming is Labor Day, from noon to 5 p.m.
- The indoor pool at the Merriam Community Center will also be closed next week for maintenance.
- Merriam will hold a free day at the pool for residents on Aug. 18 alongside the city’s Concert in the Courtyard event.
Mission
- The Mission Family Aquatic Center, located at 6200 Martway St., is open through Labor Day.
- Penn Almoney, the city’s parks director, and Jenna Dickman, aquatics manager, said in a joint email to the Post that the city plans to start reducing swim hours next week.
- Those hours will include morning swim and float for adults on weekdays and open swim weekend availability from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
- On Labor Day, the pool will be open from noon to 6 p.m.
- To end the summer, Mission will hold a Pool Party for Pooches event at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
Olathe
- Olathe has already closed its Lake Olathe (445 S. Ward Cliff Dr.), Oregon Trail Pool (1750 W Dennis Ave.) and Mill Creek Pool (320 E Poplar St.) aquatic activities for the summer.
- Starting Saturday, Aug. 9, Olathe will move to weekend-only swim at Black Bob Bay, located at 14570 W 151st St., from 12:30 to 7 p.m., said Cody Kennedy, the city’s chief communications officer.
- Olathe will close out the summer with two aquatic events.
- The first is Teen Spash at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 5. This event is for middle schoolers and it is free to attend with a school supplies donation. Register here.
- Olathe will also hold its three-day Too Cool To Drool event at Oregon Trail Pool beginning on Aug. 9 at 9 a.m. for dogs only.
Overland Park
- Overland Park is closing Stonegate Pool, at 9701 Antioch Road, and Young’s Pool, at 8421 W 77th St., for the season on Thursday, Aug. 7.
- Tomahawk Ridge Aquatic Center will stay open through Labor Day with reduced weekday hours from 4 to 7 p.m.
- The pool will also be open on the weekends from noon to 7 p.m., said Meg Ralph, director of strategic communications.
Prairie Village
- According to its website, the Prairie Village pool complex began operating on shortened hours this week.
- From now through Sunday, Aug. 10, the pool complex will be open Monday through Friday from 2 to 8 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.
- Starting Monday, Aug. 11 and going through Labor Day, hours will be even shorter: Monday through Friday from 4:30 to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.
- The pool will be open from noon to 5 p.m on its final day in operation on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1.
- To close out the swim season, Prairie Village will hold a dog swim event at 5 p.m. on Sept. 2, said Ashley Freburg, public information officer. It costs $5 per dog, and all dogs who participate need to be vaccinated.
Roeland Park
- The Roeland Park Aquatic Center, located at 4843 Rosewood Dr., will reduce its pool hours beginning Monday, Aug. 11, before closing on Labor Day.
- It will be open from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and from noon to 7 p.m. on weekends, said Katie Garcia, the city’s contract public information officer.
- Roeland Park will hold its Paw Party event for dogs to swim at the pool on Wednesday, Sept 3, starting at 5:30 p.m.
Shawnee
- Shawnee will close Splash Cove, located at 5800 King Ave., after one last swim on Sunday, Aug. 10.
- After Friday, Aug. 8, hours will be reduced at the Thomas A. Soetaert Aquatic Center, located at 13805 Johnson Drive.
- Soetaert will be open from 5 to 8 p.m. on weekdays, and from 12:30 to 6 p.m. on weekends, said Donahoo, the communications director.
- On Labor Day, the pool will be open from 12:30 to 5 p.m.
- On Tuesday, Aug. 5, Shawnee will host a National Night Out event with the police department in the pool parking lot from 5 to 8 p.m.
- Additionally, the city will hold its K9s at the Cove dog swim event on Saturday, Aug. 16, from 7:15 to 11:15 a.m.
Spring Hill
- According to its guide, the Spring Hill Aquatic Center will be open through Sunday, Aug. 10.
- The hours are from noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
- The city plans to host its 11th Annual Family Luau at the aquatic center on Saturday, Aug. 9, from 7 to 9 p.m.
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