Wakelon Elementary School has announced an early dismissal for students on Tuesday, October 1, due to inadequate air conditioning. Students will be released at 10:30 a.m. School buses will be available for those who typically ride home, while parents can use the regular carpool procedure to pick up their children. Staff members will remain on campus until all students are picked up, and all after-school activities have been canceled.
In a message sent to families, the school stated, “Due to our HVAC system not working at full capacity and the building’s high temperatures and humidity, we will dismiss students at 10:30 a.m. today.” The Wake County Public School System’s maintenance team worked on repairs the previous day but determined that additional parts are needed to fully resolve the HVAC issues and will continue to work on-site today.
The Wake County school district has faced multiple instances of school closures due to malfunctioning HVAC systems this year, continuing a trend from the previous school year, which saw over 40 closures. This ongoing issue is partly attributed to a staffing shortage that hampers timely repairs and maintenance of equipment.
According to a recent Wake County Board of Education meeting, the district is currently $214.3 million behind on necessary updates to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. There are 148 units scheduled for replacement or needing replacement within the next five years. The district’s HVAC staff is operating at about half capacity, with significant vacancies impacting the response to urgent work orders. Last year, the district received approximately 2,900 emergency work orders related to HVAC issues, with an additional 2,300 classified as urgent.
