About
Laurie Karr, Owner
Growing up in Ohio, swimming was everything to me. I was surrounded by a competitive family, particularly in sports, and my love for swimming was shaped by family vacations at Lake Cumberland and the shared experiences at local pools. My brothers and I were born with a need to win, and swimming, with its time-based metrics, taught me to set goals and learn from setbacks and failures. My early years in the sport taught me resilience, setting the foundation for the challenges I would face later in life.
Being the girl of the family didn’t stop me from taking on the boys – and I give my Dad a lot of credit for that. He taught me the importance of independence and the courage to pursue my dreams. Because of him, I didn’t really know a glass ceiling existed. It’s this same passion and resilience that I want to share with the next generation of swimmers and their families at The Powell Aquatics Center, one of the only hybrid swim team-swim school models in the country.
I swam competitively for 14 years—through summer league, college, AAU, USS, and at Worthington High School, where I was team captain. My passion for swimming took me to Ohio State, where I earned my B.S. in Mathematical Sciences and competed in the distance and IM events. In 1983 at Worthington Pools, I started the coaching portion of my career where I also managed local summer leagues and USS teams.
Starting my own swimming program in 1990 was no easy feat; it required multiple attempts and the painful reality of starting over. There were failures along the way, including nearly closing down my program, but with determination, we grew from 35 to 300 team members and over 800 swim lesson participants. The team has grown into one of the top 150 swim clubs in the US in 2022, producing alumni that include the current Head Coach of Alabama, US National Team members, Division 1 swimmers, State Champions, YMCA Champions, Olympic Trial Qualifiers, and even a Japanese National Record Breaker.
This growth wasn’t just about numbers—it was about building a supportive community where kids could feel safe to work through emotions and develop both mentally and physically. In any sport – there will be tears. What I love about the pool is, it’s a place where you can have your worst day, get in the water and no one sees the tears through your goggles.
Through the Buckeye Swim School, I’m fulfilling a dream I’ve had since I was a child—creating a place where kids can discover their love for swimming, build confidence, and make lasting memories in a supportive and positive environment. This is more than just a swim school; it’s a community where families come together to learn, grow, and support one another, all while enjoying the love of swimming.
Our alumni list includes the current Head Coach of Alabama, US National Team members, Division 1 swimmers, State Champions, YMCA Champions, Olympic Trial Qualifiers and one Japanese National Record Breaker.
Customer Policies & Procedures
Payments Terms and Conditions
Payment must be made in full for a participant to enroll in a class. By providing an electronic payment form during registration customers agree to be auto-charged for lessons on the 26th of each month. Buckeye Swim School charges a one-time $25 registration fee per student or a maximum of $60 per family. Tuition and registration fees are non-refundable. Tuition is prorated each month to reflect holiday closures. Tuition will be higher on months that offer additional classes (e.g., 5 days within that month rather than 4). Once you are enrolled in classes, you will continue to be billed monthly until you notify us of your desire to withdraw from classes. Tuition for your first and last month will be prorated according to the number of classes left in the month and will be billed immediately.
Tuition Paid by Third Party
Tuition can be paid through a third party. An electronic payment method is required to be on file for all customers paying for swim lessons by an individual third party. Customers are responsible for tuition if the funding expires, or we do not receive the payment from the third party.
We also accept funding from agencies such as DCBDD.
Cancellation Notice
To withdraw from lessons please submit the drop form that is located in your parent portal. All class drops require a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice. For the smoothest process, please notify us before the 16th of the month to avoid being charged for the following month.
Drops submitted:
- From the 1st to the 16th: We will enter your drop date for the end of the current month.
- From the 17th to the 24th: We will enter your drop date for the 7th of the next month. You will receive a final bill for one week of tuition.
- From the 25th through the 31st: We will enter your drop date for the 14th of the next month and your last class will occur on or before the 14th. You will receive a refund for all remaining classes in the upcoming month.
Facility Closure
In the case that a facility is closed due to inclement weather or maintenance, a make-up class maybe be scheduled, or your account will be credited for the classes canceled. All credits will be applied to future tuition for lessons at Buckeye Swim School and cannot be converted to cash or transferred to any other party.
Make-Up Policy
Customers are eligible for one make-up every calendar month due to an absence. Participants must be actively enrolled in classes to schedule makeups. The make-up must be completed within one year from the date of the absence and is subject to availability as determined by Buckeye Swim School. No credits will be given if the student is unable to attend their make-up class and are not transferable to any other party. Private lessons may be made up with their current instructor with two weeks advance notice if the instructors’ schedule allows. We believe strongly in the connection between student and teacher in the private lesson setting and will do our best to honor such requests. Semi-private lessons may also reschedule with their instructor if both students have a makeup and can schedule together.
Instructor and Class Changes
We do our best to accommodate specific instructor requests. However, specific requests for instructors are not guaranteed. Instructor substitutions, modifications, and changes can occur at the sole discretion of Buckeye Swim School. If classes are not booked to capacity, we reserve the right to combine classes to fill the class. We reserve the right to cancel or change the lesson day, time, or level at any time at our sole discretion.
Swim Lesson Safety
It is our mission to teach your child to safely enjoy the water. This includes learning to swim and learning pool and water safety rules. Our swim instructors are the front line to managing a safe swim class. Students that are struggling to follow class safety rules may be asked to sit to the side in order to assure swimmer safety within our classes.
In addition, the participant’s parent/guardian must remain at the facility during the entire duration of each lesson.
Swim Gear
Suit: Anyone entering the pool is required to wear appropriate and snug-fitting swim apparel. Street clothing is not permitted.
Goggles: We highly recommend that all swimmers wear goggles in class.
Swim Cap: All students with hair longer than chin length are required to wear a swim cap.
Towels: We do not provide towels.
Swim Diapers
Students that are not fully potty trained are required to wear a disposable swim diaper covered by a reusable swim diaper.