The LHS main parking lot construction will make some entrances unavailable.

Over the summer, there will be major construction at LHS; the pool doors will be finished, the parking lot will be torn up and repaired, and the entire second floor tiling will be replaced. In addition to these large projects, there will be annual cleaning in every part of the building.

The construction surrounding the pool doors is going to be finished by the start of school next year, according to Mr. Chris Stancil, the assistant director of the Buildings and Grounds Department at LHS. The boiler plant outside of the pool doors is being replaced with a newer, more efficient boiler that uses a different system to heat and cool the school. In addition to removing and replacing the plant, there will also be a security office built where the pool doors were before the construction. The pool will be drained this summer so maintenance can be performed on it.

Some students have expressed annoyance with this project; the construction has forced many students to change how they get in and out of the school. This is especially relevant to LHS swimmers, divers and water polo players: “That’s where all the swimmers would hang out and it’s kind of annoying because we don’t have anywhere to go before practice,” said sophomore Grace Hurley, a varsity swimmer and member of the JV water polo team. All users of the pool have resorted to using the Studio Theatre entrance because of the 10-month construction, according to Hurley.

Although she was annoyed with the construction, Hurley also thinks it will be beneficial in the long run. Hurley said there was “steam coming out of the ground in random spots” and it is completely necessary that the boilers were replaced.

The main parking lot and the parking lot near the tennis courts will be removed and repaved; this will repair the potholes that have been covered and avoided during the year. According to Mr. Stancil, the construction in the parking lot will begin the second week of June and will be completed on Aug. 12. Because of the construction, the main entrance to the high school will be closed for most of the summer. See the map to view the entrances and exits that will be available.

On the second floor, the Buildings and Grounds Department is going to rip up the asbestos tile and replace it with cleaner, more colorful tile. The new tile will match the rest of the school; it will be school colors and easier to clean. According to Mr. Stancil, asbestos tile is very difficult to clean and work on, although “it is not hazardous to anybody.” The second floor will be off-limits for most of the summer; it will be open again on Aug. 17. According to Mr. Stancil, “the second floor is going to be the tightest project we have.”

There are many other projects that are going to take place this summer; the bleachers in the main gym are being replaced and the domestic hot water plant is going to be upgraded. The bleachers are going to be replaced with ones that have the LHS school colors and logo on them. The domestic hot water plant (which supplies hot water to the sinks and showers in the school) will undergo maintenance to make it more efficient.