Lights go out at South Terrebonne High

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (Thibodaux)
March 25, 2010
LeFevre’s Art Supply & Gallery (Houma)
March 29, 2010
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (Thibodaux)
March 25, 2010
LeFevre’s Art Supply & Gallery (Houma)
March 29, 2010

More than 20 years of inclement weather has caused stadium light poles at South Terrebonne High School to deteriorate. It all came to a head when one unexpectedly collapsed on March 1 at 1:15 p.m.


Fortunately, nobody was injured, officials said.

The lights are used on a routine basis to illuminate a field, which the school’s sports teams use during the year to practice and play games.


While only one pole fell, the remaining three were deemed unsafe after an engineer inspected them, said Terrebonne Parish School District superintendent Phillip Martin. Although it can’t be proved, officials think back-to-back hurricanes and years of shabby weather have played a major role in weakening the poles. “It’s even been confirmed by the manufacturer,” according to Martin.


Replacing the structures will add an even greater burden to the district, which is already dealing with budget cuts and decreased revenues across the board. The district’s insurance provider and FEMA could provide some relief, but as things are under way, it isn’t looking too promising.

“We’re going to pursue both avenues very aggressively, but I’m not very optimistic about either one,” he said. “I certainly hope I’m wrong, but I don’t know that these types of things are covered [under our insurance policy].”


FEMA generally allocates funds to areas that are considered natural disaster areas, but it’s been nearly 18 months since the last hurricane, which makes procuring the money difficult.


As the process continues, Martin said he would keep his fingers crossed.

Adding to the list of challenges, the poles have no warranty.


Early estimates show replacing the lights could cost about $500,000, but since “…everything is still in the preliminary stages,” it’s anyone’s guess, said Martin.


And since lighting structures haven’t been an issue for South Terrebonne or other area schools, officials are exploring new ground.

“I’ve never had to do this before,” noted Martin. “I don’t know if [the estimate] is low or high.”

However, safety often times comes with a price.

“I know we’re trying to save money. But let’s think about safety first, let’s be mindful of that,” said Terrebonne Parish School Board president Gregory Harding at the board’s routine meeting last week.

Nicholls State University in Thibodaux recently had stadium lights replaced at the tune of about $700,000 because of similar reasons. The price tag on South Terrebonne’s poles was based slightly on that number, explained Martin.

The school’s baseball and track and field teams were just recently allowed to step foot back on the field, as all of the poles were taken down.

For the previous two weeks the baseball team had been scrounging to find other local venues “…and neutral sites…” to practice on, said South Terrebonne High School principal Kenneth Delcambre. And even now, the track and field team has little to no access to the school’s high-jump pits and no team can practice or play after dark.

Come fall, the football team could also face hardships.

If the lights aren’t up and running, “…the team could be forced to play on Fridays before dark, or even on Saturdays,” explained Delcambre. It could also put a tangle in the team’s schedule, along with their opponents’, which would likely have to rearrange their schedule to make things work.

“Our goal is to have it done by fall,” claimed Martin. “But is that foolishly optimistic? I don’t know.”

In order to lighten things up, the district must first obtain an architectural plan. After that, the project will go out to bid and be awarded to the winning contractor. “If anybody delays, or plays around,” it could take some time before construction is complete, noted Delcambre. “It’s a lengthy process.”

Sports teams could face difficulty next year if stadium lights aren’t fixed. * File photo / Tri-Parish Times