Did you know that along Hillsborough High School’s amazing athletic amenities, they also had a pool? Absolutely! Along with the school’s dazzling turf and gorgeous indoor and outdoor courts, the school featured a basement pool for its students. Though a common misconception is that it is located on the roof, the pool was built with the original building of the school in the basement in September of 1969. The pool was a 50×25 meter pool with gorgeous blue water, reaching depth of up to six feet, sporting 42,000 gallons of water.

Although a gorgeous amenity loved by all, it unfortunately fell into disrepair, leading to its closure in July of 1989. Due to a senior prank gone awry, the plumbing and piping were clogged after an excessive amount of a popular snack, Jello-O, was stuck inside. Yes, as one last hurrah, the senior class of 1989 filled the pool with Jell-O. The prank was planned by the year’s student body government and chosen in a poll among the rest. The plan was to drain and fill the pool with fresh water and fill the pool with about one thousand eighty-four, twenty-five pound bags of gelatin in order to make it work. The Jell-O was placed inside the pool Friday, June 16 and left over the weekend to harden. The temperature of the pool room was decreased to a chilling forty degrees to allow the Jell-O to set well enough for that following Monday. That Monday the senior class of ’89 was found having a pool party in a Jell-O filled pool.

Unfortunately, however, what seemed to be a harmless prank, caused the closure of the beloved pool. Once the party ended, professionals were called in to aid in cleaning up the pool. As cleaning efforts began, Jell-O was found sucked up into piping linked to the rest of the school, causing irreversible damage. The cost of cleaning quickly rose, causing the crucial decision to close the pool. The closure started an uproar within the community as the pool was considered a generational experience for families and friends. Despite this, the room itself was filled in with the addition of the 700s and 800s annex. With this story, may we always remember the class of 1989 and their efforts this anniversary June 16, and the piece of history right under our feet everyday.