Atascadero Drowning

Pool safety guidelines at Atascadero High School match state's

Atascadero High requires training for teachers and coaches in first-aid, CPR and water safety; the state does not require a lifeguard

By AnnMarie Cornejo

Does the recent drowning at Atascadero High School change your mind about letting your child swim at school?

Yes. I will no longer allow my child to swim at school. I'm going to make sure there's a lifeguard on duty first - not just a teacher No. This seems like an isolated incident. My child doesn't swim at school now.

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MEMORIAL SERVICE

A celebration of John Erlanson’s life will be held at 4 p. m. Wednesday at the Atascadero High School gym. The public is welcome to attend. The school is at 1 High School Hill in Atascadero. Call the school at 462-4300 for more details.

The pool safety policy at Atascadero High School follows guidelines recommended by the state of California, and school officials were following that policy the day 17-year-old John Erlanson drowned in the campus pool, a top school official said.

All physical education teachers and coaches who oversee students in the swimming pool are trained by the American Red Cross in first-aid and CPR. Additionally, all P. E. teachers who instruct aquatics receive credentials through the state of California that allow them to teach such classes, said Atascadero Unified School District Superintendent John Rogers.

Many teachers pursue additional training, but it is not required by the school district, Rogers said.

California health and safety codes do not require that a lifeguard be present during aquatics classes at public swimming pools if the instructor is trained in water safety, first-aid and CPR.

Still, one local lawmaker said he wants to see a change in legislation in the hopes that drownings such as Erlanson’s will be prevented.

Atascadero school officials are continuing to investigate how Erlanson drowned last week during a P. E. class while in the pool with as many as 30 other students.

Erlanson had an unspecified medical condition, his family and school officials said. Wednesday was his first day in the pool after sitting out because of that condition, school officials have said.

An assistant principal said Erlanson had been playing a game with other students when some of them noticed he was underwater. Some students have told administrators they believed Erlanson had a seizure and may have been under the water 20 or 30 seconds before he was pulled out by classmates.

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education recommends that one teacher be present for every 30 students.

P. E. class sizes at Atascadero High can reach up to 50 students for freshman classes and up to 44 students for sophomores. The junior intermediate swim class—an elective — is kept at an average of 32 students, Rogers said.

Only one teacher oversees P. E. classes, often with the help of a student aide who is not held to the same safety training requirements, Rogers said.

The school district relies on safety recommendations made by the American Red Cross, he said.

Reaction by officials

Some school board members have said it is too soon to know whether the district will need to change its pool safety policy. One trustee said the discussion of that idea will have to be suggested by district staff or administrators, not by the board.

When asked Monday whether the accident has prompted scrutiny of current safety policies, Rogers said, “I think everything related to safety is something that needs to be evaluated on a frequent basis. We are certainly reviewing every minute detail from every angle to ensure our students have the safest experience possible.”

Upon completion of the investigation — which involves individually interviewing more than 30 students and staff members — the district will draft a chronology of the day’s events.

Casey Erlanson, the oldest of John Erlanson’s three older sisters, said last week that she is not angry with Atascadero High School over her brother’s death but that the school should re-evaluate its policy and place a full-time lifeguard on duty.

State Sen. Abel Maldonado, who represents San Luis Obispo County, agreed that lifeguards are needed at school pools.

“We need to look at a uniform policy that requires a lifeguard to be present,” Maldonado said. “These things shouldn’t happen at public schools. When someone drops their child off at school, they automatically think a lifeguard will be there. There is an expectation of safety.”

Maldonado also encouraged the Atascadero school board to fully disclose the details of what happened the day Erlanson drowned.

“There is a victim involved,” Maldonado said. “This is something my office will look into.”

Reach AnnMarie Cornejo at 781-7939.