CIRCLEVILLE — A lightning strike early Wednesday morning, August 13, knocked out multiple operational systems at Circleville High School, including the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. Because the high school shares systems with Circleville Middle School, both buildings have been affected. The elementary school was not impacted.
While air conditioning at the high school and middle school remains non-operational, district officials say indoor temperatures are still safe. Maintenance crews have been working alongside outside vendors to secure replacement parts and bring in emergency technicians. Parts are expected to arrive within two to three days, with full repairs taking place as quickly as possible.
Students will return to school as planned on Thursday, August 14. School leaders encourage students to bring refillable water bottles and wear light, breathable clothing in accordance with the dress code to stay cool during the day.
“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students and staff,” said Circleville High School Principal Greg Lahr. “We will continue to monitor conditions closely and work to restore systems as soon as possible.”
The district emphasized that its mission to maximize student achievement in a safe environment remains unchanged as they address the temporary outage.
