Eastside neighbors worried about unspent donations for field lights at Sabino High School

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Once the six o' clock hour rolls around, Stephani Schlak has to close her blinds or else stadium lights from Sabino High School’s field will come into her house, even though it’s a few blocks away.

“They’re on Monday through Friday depending on the sports season, so for all of football season and for all of soccer season,” Schlak said.

She said even after practices and games, the lights are on for up to an hour. It’s an issue she feels causes light pollution.

“This whole area will be lit up. Our entire home is lit up,” she said. “We’d like to see a solution…have reflectors put down, have new lights put in.”

The Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) said the lights are scheduled remotely around multiple games and practices every week and they go off about 30 minutes after practices and games end.

However, the president of the Sabino Springs HOA, Ralph Monge, is worried about the 800 dollars he donated to the district a few years ago. He said that donation is tax write-off and is going to go towards LED lights that would not be as bright as they currently are.

“When I called I wasn’t able to get in touch with the right person to get me that information,” Monge said when asked about whether the TUSD is transparent with him about where the money is sitting and when they are going to use it.

It's an issue he brought up to KGUN 9 News reporter Andrew Christiansen after rememberingKGUN 9's coverage in 2016.

The TUSD said they are still working on the project’s timeline. They said the project will cost about 300 thousand dollars and so far they have collected about $23,000 since 2018.

They said the new lights were included in the bond that was passed in November but that money won’t be coming into the district for at least another few months.

Both Monge and Schlak said they are hoping the school district sheds light on where the money is and when it’s going to be used.

“We would like to know an update. We’d like to see movement on the issue,” Schlak said while Monge said, “I’m willing to do again this year, but I would really like to know how that money is being held.”