Rowan Harris

The tunnels under St. Louis High School – are they really dark and dangerous, or simply mundane?

In her 2023 release “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.”, indie singer Lana del Rey asks her audience if they know about the tunnel under Ocean Boulevard. In keeping with the theme of secret tunnels, it has to be asked: did you know that there are tunnels under St. Louis High School?

First of all, it has to be established that the tunnels under SLHS (and all of the schools in the district) really do exist. Many students claim the tunnels are myths, but the tunnels really do run under each school in a complicated web.

However, on the opposite end of the spectrum regarding the theories around these tunnels is the belief that they are connected to each other, or to every classroom, or so on and so forth. District superintendent Jennifer McKittrick can dispel that claim, though.

“These spaces are just designed to access utilities and plumbing, much like a house,” shared McKittrick. “They’re not even really tunnels, more like unfinished crawl spaces.”

Regarding the rumors around them, though, it’s natural to be curious about these places. In fact, many of the students at SLHS have thoughts and opinions about the tunnels.

“When it comes to my opinion on the tunnels beneath the school, I am very curious about it, as most people have not been down there in any of their four years of high school,” shared senior Benjamin March. “This adds much suspicion to what the school is hiding.”

However, is it true what McKittrick claims? Are the tunnels really just mundane utility access routes, or is there something sinister? The Shark Scene newspaper staff, in our endless dedication in the name of journalism, took a trip down to the tunnels to investigate ourselves, alongside superintendent McKittrick. 

The final result? The tunnels really are just mundane utility access routes. They’re rather dusty and boring, with a lot of random boxes strewn about. They’re also incredibly dark and narrow, as well as hard to access. In fact, this is the main reason why the tunnels are off-limits to students because they pose a safety concern.

“We have permanently closed hatches so students do not access them, due to the crawl spaces being dark and dangerous,” concluded McKittrick.

Rest easy, St. Louis High School. The tunnels beneath our feet are not secret torture chambers or routes for the all-knowing school board to scheme in – they’re basically just utility rooms and basements to keep the school functioning.