EL PASO - Karen Krug stood in the crumbling indoor pool at El Paso-Gridley High School, where she and countless others learned to swim, and wondered if the future plans were "the right thing."

That day in July, ribbons of liquid concrete converted the former pool into the floor for a fitness center, forever changing the 1920s-era school building.

"Now I know we made the right choice," said Krug, the school's principal, as students worked out last week on new equipment in the renovated facility.

After practices, sophomore Kyle Sharp, 16, a multi-sport athlete, was among football team members who helped install the ceiling. He said the old weight room was "all right," but the new facility is much better.

The transition from pool to fitness center was "weird," said sophomore Moli Copple, 16. The basketball, volleyball and track member worked on an elliptical machine during a health class of 25 students.

The facility has room for twice that many.

The bright, 28,000-square-foot center is trimmed in EP-G's black and purple and has wall art of the mascot, the Titan. It is home to health and fitness classes; sports enhancement and conditioning for athletes; and the staff wellness program.

Eventually, it will open to the public.

The decision to close the pool was difficult despite peeling ceiling paint and mold. The pool sat empty for two years and early cost estimates of $70,000 to $100,000 didn't make the decision easier when the district considered changing the pool to ease coaches' worries that the weight room was unsafe and inadequate.

The $125,000 project, almost two years in the making, came with the help of community fundraising and hours of volunteer labor. The center has $89,000 in new fitness equipment.

"When I became principal, my No. 1 objective was to bring the school and the community closer together," said Krug. She agreed with Assistant Principal Shannon Dudek that the project helped meet the goal.

She distinctly remembers the day of her nephew's Aug. 4 wedding. It was the second day concrete was poured, and there were barely enough volunteers.

A concrete worker who saw the truck had heard of the project, and he showed up to help. Extra volunteers arrived and the concrete was done in time for Krug to attend the wedding.

She also remembers farmers, truck drivers and others loading up dirt and delivering it to the pool.

A pile of photos attests to the community's support. "There's former superintendent Bill James working," she said, pointing out school board members, students, staff and community members.

"That's what was so special."

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EP-G Fitness Center

History: The 1920s-era El Paso High School, 600 N. Elm St., included an indoor swimming pool. Swimming was dropped from the curriculum in the late 1990s as the pool became antiquated. It was drained in 2006.

In 2007, the now-consolidated El Paso-Gridley School District agreed to replace the pool with a fitness room. Board members rejected the low bid of $70,000 to $100,000 for construction, deciding instead to proceed with community volunteers and donations. The new center opened in October 2008.

Equipment: Free weights; machine weights; flexibility tools including bands and balls; cardiovascular tools including treadmills, elliptical machines, bikes, and a wheelchair accessible upper-body strength-building machine helpful in stroke rehabilitation.

Equipment funding: El-Paso Gridley School District: $40,000; Matt Carley (graduate living in North Carolina): $10,000; Titan Athletic Booster Club: $17,000; Wink Schairer Foundation: $14,000; Dennis Steffen Memorial: $5,000; private and community donations.

Renovation funding: About $25,000 paid by the school district and community donations. Sweat equity donations were made for demolition and construction, and expertise in concrete, windows, electrical, etc.