It’s the end of an era for Riverside Secondary School as their swimming pool has been slated to close by the end of the year.

The Greater Essex County District School Board made the announcement in a news release Wednesday that the pool would close permanently. Public relations officer Scott Scantlebury says the closure is a casualty of high costs.

According to Scantlebury, it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to make repairs, with no guarantee they wouldn’t be needed again down the road. That’s on top of the operational costs.

However, the board is investing in improvements to the school’s athletic facilities. The sports field will be rebuilt and a new six lane track installed.

At the same time the board announced $11.5 million of provincial funding to build an addition to Tecumseh Vista Academy. The expansion will add 400 student spaces to the facilities high school wing.

Renovations have also been approved for Westview Freedom Academy. The board will use $2.5 million from its capital reserves.