To complete the $4.6-million Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center, Palisades Charter High School still needs $1.5 million, so legendary English teacher Rose Gilbert has given the school a $750,000 loan. Gilbert, who inherited millions from her late husband Sam, has already donated more than $2 million toward construction costs, and the state-of-the-art aquatic center will be named after her late daughter and swimmer, Maggie. ’I’m really enthusiastic about the pool,’ said Gilbert, 91. ‘It will really benefit the school and the community.’ Gilbert, who has worked at PaliHi since the school opened in 1961 and is currently teaching four Advanced Placement English classes, said she has always thought the school needed a pool. That is why she proposed PaliHi construct the aquatic center and gave $1.1 million to launch the fundraising campaign in 2006. Since then, PaliHi has raised a total of $3.1 million for the 12-lane competitive pool and adjacent two-lane teaching pool at the corner of Temescal Canyon Road and Bowdoin Street, according to Chief Business Officer Greg Wood. Construction is about 50 percent completed and the center should be finished this spring. PaliHi’s governing board approved the loan agreement with Gilbert at its January 19 meeting. The loan, with a set interest rate of 5.6 percent, will be repaid on a quarterly basis over a five-year period, Wood said. Payments will not begin until after the aquatic center is finished. ’The 5.6-percent interest rate compares to the market rate from other lenders,’ Wood said. The board directed Wood to seek another $750,000 loan to cover the remainder of the construction costs. The terms of that loan will be subject to final board approval. ’Hopefully, we will have a [loan] option in the next few months,’ Wood said, adding that the administration wants to conduct due diligence before making a recommendation to the board. The loans will be paid back through revenue collected from permits, which outside groups can purchase to use the school’s pool, playing fields, parking lots, classrooms, meeting rooms and gym. Executive Director Amy Dresser-Held expects the school to earn more money from these permits next school year. Pali Blues, a local women’s semi-pro soccer team, and American Youth Soccer Organization’s Region 69 paid upfront for part of the $1.7-million renovations to the track and football field in exchange for permits to use the field for two years. Their permits will expire in June 2010, which means that Pali-Hi can start collecting money from those groups to use the field, Dresser-Held said. Dresser-Held explained that PaliHi has to take out these loans now because the pool contractor, Sarlan Brothers, needs to be paid in order to finish the project this spring. School leaders, however, haven’t given up hope that the entire project can be paid for entirely through donations. ’We will continue fundraising,’ she said. ‘We have grant applications out to at least 30 foundations, and different events are planned.’ Individuals, businesses and organizations may purchase a lane for $50,000 and have their name displayed on it. Six of the 14 lanes are still available. They may also buy naming rights to the scoreboard for $150,000, the instructional pool for $350,000 and the competition pool for $500,000. The PaliHi Booster Club has already purchased the pool house, said Jeanne Goldsmith, PaliHi’s fundraising consultant. PaliHi is selling wall tiles (which will be displayed inside the aquatic center complex) for $500, with room for 15 words or two lines of text. The tile can be a gift to honor a swimmer, a graduate of PaliHi or an entire family. ’For those members of the community who have not stepped up, now is the time to support this incredible recreational facility for our community,’ Goldsmith said. To donate, visit www.palihigh.org or call Goldsmith at (310) 454-9033.
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