Since the construction of LHS in 1965, rumors of a pool, ghosts and deep tunnels have haunted the student body, leading kids to wonder what is really in the deep, dark and mysterious basement.

Throughout the years, those who roam the halls of LHS have had a common idea;; beneath the floorboards of the school, the basement gives way to a pool. This purported claim has been around for years, spawned by the circulating rumors from past from past students who wanted to get a rise out of their peers. This gossip, started by one, slowly morphed into a story for the ages – the tale of the LHS basement. Through the boiler room, located in the hallway behind the cafeteria, there is a set of steep stairs leading to a room filled with the hum of circulating motors, the gush of water through pipes and the voice of Semmler, the head janitor of LHS.

The whispers of haunting have been hearsay amongst those enrolled at LHS for years. Although there has been little proof, the idle thoughts of absent-minded students have led many to believe that this could be the truth. Semmler is one of the only faculty members with the key to disproving this ancient idea, yet the tunnels mortified even him.

“[The tunnels] freaked me out because I had no idea [where] they were [headed],” said Semmler.

While this thought has been one of the most prevalent amongst the community of students who have a hunger for the truth of the underground, this is not the only fallacy the population of LHS has come to believe. Other Sioux Falls schools, such as the old WHS building downtown, are equipped with pools as they previously required their students to take swimming lessons. LHS, however, was never built to include a pool. While LHS originally planned to have a pool, this idea never materialized. Students took this information and twisted it to create the myth that there is a pool beneath our feet. Semmler, having explored the deep, dark depths of LHS, has dissipated these rumors.

“No, there is no pool,” said Semmler.

While most ideas spread amongst the students have proven to be false, there is one that remains true. The frightening tunnels are a fact of LHS life. Leading to dark crevices, ladders, crawlspaces and small offices for maintenance services, these tunnels are frequented by the janitorial staff. The hauntings of these tunnels cannot be proven true or false, but their existence remains a mystery.

“The tunnels go all of the way to the e-wing,” said Semmler.

So no, the rumors about the pool are not true, and maybe the haunting of the dark tunnels and eerie spaces are, but the corridor filled with the signatures of students past proves the vital role that the tunnels have played in the history of LHS. This corridor has served the purpose of letting students leave their mark on the very walls of LHS, solidifying their legacy. The awe-inspiring tunnel walls, coated with spray paint and Sharpies, demonstrate the hold these tunnels have had on students for decades.

“You might wanna take a picture of this; this is the good stuff,” said Semmler.