Wake County Public Schools is facing $600 million in deferred maintenance needs, which is limiting resources that could address the district’s HVAC issues.
According to Wake’s North Carolina Association of Educators, more than 25 schools have closed at least once this school year when it was hot or cold. Last month, the association called on Wake County commissioners to approve a bond resolution to fix the HVAC issues.
The district’s Facilities Committee met earlier this week to consider more ways to address the problems with the HVAC systems.
Wake Superintendent Robert Taylor said the school system is facing millions of dollars in deferred maintenance needs because it dates back to the Great Recession in 2008.
“HVAC systems are largely inflated,” he told WUNC. “So, you’re talking about a unit that should have been replaced at a cost of, hypothetically, $140,000. Well, if you haven’t replaced that in for six or seven years now, the cost may be $190,000.”
The facilities board members also said trained staff is part of the issue as well.
“It’s just more staff, more specifically more HVAC staff, to address all the buildings that have been added in the last 15 years,” said Dave Burnett, the Assistant Superintendent for Wake County Schools, during Tuesday’s meeting. “It’s just a whole lot to ask for the same people to maintain that much of a larger portfolio.”
Moving forward, the board said they want to explore ways to train custodial staff on preventative maintenance for the needs of their HVAC systems.
They also plan to revisit the district’s HVAC issues in about three months and come up with more solutions to fix the issue.
