Normally when driving past the high school after sunset one will see the street lamps lighting the parking lot. However, due to the recent construction the power lines have been deactivated, leaving the lot dark.

“Administration is aware that the lights are out,” assistant principal Bruce Coachman said. “There is a middle section of the front, or South, parking lot lights that will not function for a while during the construction. They will return as we get further along in the construction process.”

According to construction company Lee Lewis, the lights are out due to safety concerns.

“The lights have been turned off due to concern for our workers,” project manager Brian Rose said. “We found it unsafe to have live lines while workers were digging. So, in order to avoid certain hazards, such as electrocution or burns, we negotiated to have them temporarily turned off.”

For some of those that have been at the school at night, it’s darker than usual.

“Several lights were out but not all,” English teacher Cheryl Anderson said. “It was very hard to see in many areas of the front parking lot, so it was hard to see and get to my car, but the front sidewalk was fairly well lit.”

However, even though the parking lot is dark, the school doesn’t classify it as a safety concern.

“There isn’t a specific concern for safety as there are few events here at the HS that end after dark,” principal Chris Mayfield said. “Those that do have a school sponsor that is able to help monitor and keep a safe environment. As long as the lights along the sidewalk in front of the school are on, I feel our students are safe in being picked up at night.”