The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – Santa Clarita Valley Station donated dozens of lights, ballasts, bulbs and lighting systems to Golden Valley High School today. The equipment, confiscated from an illegal drug operation, was donated to the school’s biology and environmental science programs

After a lengthy approval process facilitated by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the SCV Sheriff’s Foundation, and the William S. Hart Union High School District, the grow lighting systems valued at nearly $10,000 were cleared to be delivered to Golden Valley High School to be used in labs as part of the science curriculum.

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The donation was spearheaded by biology teacher Danielle Werts, who asked for the lighting systems to be used by the AP program for lab requirements where students construct multiple ecosystems in bottles and other enclosures. The lighting systems will give students the opportunity to observe and collect data on changes that occur in their closed systems, an exercise that would otherwise not be available in an indoor lab environment for the students.

Other labs will involve the demonstration of what happens in a landfill when organic and non-organic products are combined and left under extreme lighting conditions. Students will also be able to grow and observe the life cycle of many plant species.

School Principal Sal Frias met with deputies today to accept the equipment.

“These lights and equipment open up a number of opportunities for our students that they would not have had,” said Werts. “I can’t tell you how excited I am for our program and the kids.”

“This is a unique opportunity that came together as a result of a forward-thinking request and good timing,” said Captain Paul Becker of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station. “We are grateful we were able to take something that was being used for illegal purposes and turn it into a positive for our local youth and educational programs.”