Swim Lessons
The Mount Rainier Pool offers progressive swim lessons, where current students are given priority to register. This ensures higher-quality lessons and helps better allocate staff to serve the most people per session. See below for more information in Registration.
SWIM LESSON PAGE & HANDBOOK UPDATES (08/10/2026): Fall information is now available. See swim lesson page below for more information, and click here to download our newest swim lesson handbook. The handbook has been updated with our annual changes. Please review.
SCHOLARSHIP PORTAL UPDATES (08/03/2026): The scholarship portal has been updated for the next cycle of scholarships (09/01/2026 – 08/31/2027). Click here to view the scholarship page for more information.
FALL (CURRENT) REGISTRATION DATES & TIMES
Registration priority will follow the 1,2,3 system to ensure residents are prioritized for registration. Please register promptly on the dates listed below as there is a strong demand for swim lessons in the area.
| Resident* | Non-Resident | |
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Current Student Registration
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(1) CURRENT STUDENTS’ REGISTRATION Wednesday, September 9, starts at 4:30pm |
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New or Non-Current Student Registration
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(2) RESIDENT* Friday, September 11, 5-6:30pm |
(3) NON-RESIDENT* Friday, September 11, 6:30-8pm |
*Residents of Des Moines and Normandy Park.
SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE
The Mount Rainier Pool set a deadline of Friday, September 4. This deadline is to ensure part all scholarships are in on time. For more information on scholarships, please download the Swim Lesson Handbook.
FALL 2026 (CURRENT) REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Below are the steps for registering as either a current or new student. Current students must have participated in the last session offered and have no more than two unexcused absences. You can register online, in-person or over-the-phone.
Current Student Information
Current Students receive prioritization for swim lesson registration. This helps create quality and consistency in our swim programs. See exact swim registration information below for Current Student Registration Priority.
Current Students participated in the last session of swim lessons. This does not include people who were placed on waitlists. For Fall 2026, Current Students must have participated in Summer 2026 lessons. To be considered a Current Student, one must have two or fewer unexcused absences. See Swim Lesson Handbook for more information.
CHECK ON CURRENT STUDENT STATUS
To check if you are your child is a Current Student, please call us at (206) 824-4722. Please call us a minimum of 2-3 business days before registration.
SWIM LESSON HANDBOOK (Updated August 10): Click here for more detailed information, including swim level selector, new online scholarship porcess, and adult lessons.
New Student Information
Swim lessons at the Mount Rainier Pool follow a progressive format. Students move up to the next level after they have mastered skills from the previous level. We have setup recommendations before registering for First-Time Swimmers, Transfer Students and Non-Current Students. New Students can register after Current Student. See registration below for more detailed information.
| NEW STUDENTS | ||
| First-Time Swimmer | Transfer Student | Non-Current Students |
| Swimmer that has not taken group swim lessons. | Swimmer that has transferred from another pool’s swim lesson program. | Swimmer that has taken swim lessons at Mt Rainier Pool, six months. New swim evaluation required past six month. |
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1. Create an Account 2. No Swim Evaluation needed (only allowed to register for P&C 1, PSA 1, LTS 1 & Adult Beginner without swim evaluation) 3. Sign Up for Lessons
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1. Create an Account 2. Take a Swim Evaluation 3. Sign Up for Lessons
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1. New Swim Evaluation 2. Sign Up for Lessons
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SWIM LESSON HANDBOOK (Updated August 10)
Click here for more detailed information, including swim level selector, new online scholarship porcess, and adult lessons.
SWIM LESSON LEVELS OVERVIEW
Want more information on the different swim levels we offer? Click here to view more information on swim lesson levels.
SWIM LESSON LEVEL SELECTION GUIDE
Click here to use this guide to help you or your child(ren) find the right swim lesson level.
FALL (CURRENT) CLASS INFORMATION
Fall (Current) Swim Lessons will have two (2) options: Monday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Current students will receive priority in signing up for all options.
CLASS SCHEDULE DETAILS
Classes are 25-30 minutes long, depending on the level. Exact class times will be posted Thursday, September 3. See registration dates and times for more information.
| Day | Time of Day | Times | Class Dates |
| Monday and Wednesday | Evening | 4-6:45 p.m. |
10/12-11/4 (8 classes)
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| Saturday | Morning | 8:30-11:30 a.m. |
9/26-11/14 (8 classes) |
*Adult lessons are offered before and after youth group lessons. For Fall 2026, they will be offered on Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:45-7:30 p.m. and Saturday mornings from 8-8:45 a.m.
CLASS PRICING DETAILS
There are no grants for free swim lessons available, but there are scholarships available for residents of Des Moines and Normandy Park for 90% of the class price. The prices below are for an 8-session course. The rates below are the new 2025 rates that will take effect January 1, 2026.
| All Levels (Ages 6 months to Adult) |
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| Resident* | $82.00 |
| Non-Resident | $98.00 |
There is no pro-rating of class fees, even after the start of classes. Also, there is a $10 processing fee for cancellations. See section below for more information.
SWIM LESSON LEVELS OVERVIEW
Want more information on the different swim levels we offer? Click here to view more information on swim lesson levels.
SWIM LESSON HANDBOOK (Updated August 10)
Click here for more detailed information, including swim level selector, new online scholarship porcess, and adult lessons.
TRANSLATED DOWNLOADABLE DOCUMENTS
The Mount Rainier Pool utilizes Google Translate to translate our website and registration portal. We utilize PDF attachments to be more concise for most users, while offering more detailed information through downloadable PDF attachments. Currently, we translate documents to Arabic, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese. Need help with another language, click here to email us.
Swim Lesson Handbook (Translated): Updated June 8, 2026
Trnaslation now available to these languages with Google Translate.
Swim Lesson Levels Overview (Translated)
Swim Lesson Translation Disclaimer
LANGUAGE TRANSLATION DISCLAIMER
You are asking to have the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District website converted from English to another language.
As a convenience to those who live and work here, the Pool District links to Google Translation which provides an automated translation of the website. The tool is not perfect, and the context of the text may not be considered when it is translated. As a result, sometimes the translation may lose some of its intended meaning.
Therefore, the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District cannot guarantee the accuracy of the converted text. Where there is any question, the English version is always the authoritative version of the website.
Some items on the site may not be translated, such as images containing text, documents, maps, and web page elements. In addition, some features on the site may not work in the translated versions. If you have any questions about information that appears on our site, please contact us.
If you need this document translated to another language, we suggest you utilize Google Translate.
MORE INFORMATION
SWIM LESSON HANDBOOK (Updated August 10)
Click here for more detailed information, including swim level selector, new online scholarship porcess, and adult lessons.
CONTACT US
Have a question or do you need to speak to someone? Call us at (206) 824-4722 or email our Front Desk at Front.Desk@DesMoinesPool.org.