The Vashon Pool is set to open this Saturday and will offer a free swim in the afternoon.

Opening day hours will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the free public swim from 1 to 5 p.m. Music, snacks and games will be included with the festivities.

Until school lets out on June 18, the pool will be open only on weekends. After that date, the pool will operate on its regular summer schedule, according to Scott Bonney, the pool manager.

Discounted swim passes are available now until June 18 at the pool and include family passes for $300, a savings of $75 off the full price, and individual passes for $160, a savings of $40. Punch cards for 10 visits are $50, a savings of $10. Drop-in swim sessions are $6 per visit.

The Vashon Pool, now in its fourth season of Vashon Park District ownership, is operating on a lean budget, Bonney said, and he is trying to keep expenses down and revenue up.

To that end, he has trimmed sparsely attended times from the pool schedule.  This year’s hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.

Bonney, who took a pay cut this year, became a certified aquatic facility operator over the winter, which should further help control costs, he said, as the pool will be less reliant on maintenance staff and he has learned more efficient ways of dealing with chlorine, requiring less of it.

To keep revenue up, Bonney said he has contracted with two swim teams to practice there and has already signed rental agreements with several community groups.

He is also reaching out in other ways to increase revenue, he said, including contacting bed and breakfasts about purchasing punch cards, which he believes guests would appreciate.

“We like to think the pool is a really fun family place,” he said.

The park district has allocated $25,000 to supplement pool operations this year, according to commissioner Lu-Ann Branch.

“We’re working really hard to make that $25,000,” Bonney said.