Musco rep pitches LED stadium lights with 25-year warranty to East Allegheny School District

Jamie, a Musco representative, told the East Allegheny School District board on Nov. 12 that the district’s aging metal-halide stadium lights are due for replacement and that Musco’s LED system would deliver brighter, more uniform field lighting, reduced glare and remote monitoring.

“It’s now a 25-year warranty on parts and labor,” Jamie said, highlighting a longer warranty than the district’s current fixtures. He said the system includes a monitoring service that checks fixtures “24/7,” alerts maintenance teams to failing diodes and can dispatch Musco technicians to repair lights and avoid repeated climbs by in-house staff.

The presentation described a ball-tracking accessory that “will actually highlight a football” to help visibility for players on the field and said the LED fixtures focus light downward to reduce spectator glare. Jamie said the company makes its stadium components in the United States and cited recent local installations to show the visual difference compared with older fixtures.

Board members asked about the drivers for the project and sequencing with other field work. The superintendent said recent power outages during Friday-night games and the high cost to power and repower the old system were a key motivation for exploring replacements. Jamie said contractors would use padding and planking to protect the playing surface during installation and that the lights can be preprogrammed and remotely controlled to limit run time and save energy.

Jamie framed the proposal as a field-safety and operational-cost measure. He noted that remote scheduling would allow school staff to preprogram on/off cycles for game schedules and reduce the hours the lights run, which he said reduces energy costs.

Next steps discussed included follow-up budgeting and coordinating installation logistics if the district opts to proceed. The board did not vote on the lighting proposal at the meeting.