The Jones Aquatic Center kept its gates closed last summer and its full return in 2021 is still precarious due to a shortage of lifeguards and swim instructors. The problem isn’t limited to Emporia. On April 12, Overland Park reported that only three of its six out door aquatic centers would be open this summer and similar news stories have popped up all over the country. “We’re not alone with this,” said Emporia Recreation Center director Tom McEvoy. “We had our in-person state conference here last Wednesday down at [White] Auditorium and I talked to a number of director friends of mine from around the state. They’re finding from large cities to cities our size and smaller they’re having a problem finding lifeguards.”
Source: Emporia Gazette
