The Vashon Park District will receive more compensation than it had anticipated for some of its costs expected at the pool this summer, according to Elaine Ott, the district’s executive director.

Previously, the district’s insurance company had indicated it would cover the costs of hauling away waste water prior to the pool opening, but Ott recently announced it will cover those costs for this summer as well. The amount is expected to be $7,500.

Additionally, it is possible that the insurance company will pay half of the cost of building an infiltration trench near the pool if the school district would also pay half, Ott said, but the adjustor could not provide a definitive answer to that yet. Such a trench is one of the proposed solutions for the pool’s drainage, which was disrupted during the course of building the new high school.

The estimated cost of the infiltration trench is $42,406, according to school district documents from the engineering firm working with the district on the pool issues.

At the school district, Bob Hennessey, one of the board members designated to work on the pool issue, said if the park district wants to pursue the infiltration pond option — which is more expensive than another potential option — the school district would have to discuss the matter further. However, he expressed personal reservations, noting that the school district has buildings to maintain that are the same age as the pool, and he believes it should spend its money on those.

“To the extent that we spend money on pools, we cannot spend it on the education of children,” he said.

He noted that the school district has spent more than $45,000 on the pool so far: $30,000 to hook the toilets and showers up to the school’s septic system and $16,000 in engineering fees.

“Spending $20,000 or $30,000 more is something I would take a jaundiced look at,” he said.