The first week of athletics at Tracy High has required some shuffling of practice spaces at the school.

Construction at the 11th Street campus and changes in the electrical system brought to light some lingering problems that required the main gym and swimming pool to close. That meant the volleyball teams had to use the nearby girls subgym for practice, and the water polo teams were pushed over to West High, where three schools, including West, Kimball and Tracy High, had to work around one anothers’ practice schedules.

Tracy Unified School District Assistant Superintendent for Business Services Casey Goodall said the school needed a new controller to mix chemicals for the pool. Goodall also said the changeover in electrical service on the north end of campus burned out the old controller, which automatically balances the mix of chlorine and other chemicals in the water.

That unit was replaced this week, and the district expects the pool’s water will have the correct chemical balance by the middle of next week.

In the meantime, the 78 swimmers trying out for Tracy High’s water polo teams have practiced in the evenings at the Pinkie Phillips Aquatics Center at West High.

Tracy coach Keith Britt said the swimmers and parents quickly got used to the new routine.

“It’s a great water polo pool, because it’s all deep,” Britt said. “It’s actually worked out pretty well.”

Goodall said that an electrical panel for Tracy High’s main gym also had to be replaced. It didn’t make the gym unsafe, he said, but it has been dark with no ventilation all week.

He added that the panel should be repaired by the middle of next week, allowing the varsity, sophomore and freshman volleyball teams to again make use of both gyms.