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Superintendent says stadium lights removed at Westminster and Liberty after structural inspections; district aims to restore lighting by Sept. 25
Summary
Following specialized structural inspections, Carroll County Public Schools removed lighting supports at Westminster and Liberty high school stadiums for safety; the superintendent described emergency procurement steps, temporary measures and an expedited replacement timeline.
Superintendent McCabe told the Board of Education on Sept. 10 that specialized structural inspections of high-school stadium lighting supports at Westminster and Liberty High Schools found conditions that required the immediate removal of the light poles, and staff moved quickly to remove the structures and find replacements.
"I directed to move forward with removing the existing lighting supports so that the 2 stadia could be reopened for use," Dr. McCabe said, describing the emergency procurement of a structural inspection firm and the subsequent decision to remove the supports rather than attempt short-term reinforcement.
District staff explained the timeline and logistics. The district contracts annual maintenance for stadium structures but engaged a specialized engineering inspection firm this summer when routine work identified potential concerns. The firm'which the district said has engineers with certifications not available in-house'recommended removal as no immediate, short'term reinforcement was viable. The district removed the structures on a weekend to limit disruption to the fall athletics schedule and began pursuing permanent replacements.
Officials said they attempted to secure full-size temporary stadium lighting on short notice but could not meet scheduling needs; smaller contractor rental lights were tested but proved insufficient. The district identified a contractor with available inventory for key parts and is moving to install permanent replacements with a target of finishing work by the week of Sept. 22 and preserving games scheduled as early as the week of Sept. 25, subject to weather and supply contingencies.
Why it matters: the removals required short'term schedule adjustments for teams and community athletic events and triggered an emergency procurement process because of the safety urgency. The superintendent said administrators at both schools will keep their communities informed on scheduling changes.
Board members thanked staff for prioritizing safety. There was no formal vote specific to the lighting repairs at the Sept. 10 meeting; board members later approved a set of routine procurement items on the consent calendar, and McCabe indicated staff used emergency procurement authority to hire the structural inspection firm and to expedite replacement planning.
Ending note: district officials said they will continue regular updates with affected schools and will report back to the board as installation proceeds and dates are confirmed.
