Wake County parents press district on school A/C issues: 'Kids are sweating'
CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Parents concerned about air conditioning problems in Wake County schools urged district leaders to address ongoing HVAC issues during a meeting Monday, saying some students are struggling to learn in classrooms with high temperatures.
Among them was Jeffrey Marshall, whose fourth-grade child attends Lynn Road Elementary School in north Raleigh.
"Some of them. My parents are here. All I'm asking for, and I'm asking you say I'm going to have a conversation. I'd like the board to tell me at what temperature do our kids stop going to school?" Marshall said.
Marshall said his child recently came home upset after spending time in a warm classroom.
"You know, two days ago he came home crying and said he felt like it was 90 degrees. I talked to the teacher, and she said it was only 79 degrees in the room that day, which made me feel a little bit better that it wasn't actually burning, but that was a hard learning environment. He said. You know, the kids are sweating," Marshall said.
Parents said temperatures exceeded 80 degrees in some classrooms at Lynn Road Elementary and sought answers from district officials. After speaking with the district's facilities director, some said they were encouraged but still wanted more certainty about when repairs would be completed.
"So, it was not a specific response as to when it will be fixed. But I, you know, I want to trust that they, it's also absolutely on their radar and that they're going to try to speed up a fix," one parent said.
Parents also expressed concerns about potential school closures related to air conditioning problems, saying interruptions could affect both learning and families' schedules.
"Some of us are able to pick up our kids whenever they send out a message that the school can't stay open. Some of us can't. And that's a real thing that parents should be considering taking into consideration," another parent said.
The concerns extend beyond Lynn Road Elementary. Green Level High School notified parents that it is dealing with air conditioning repairs and advised students to hydrate, wear lighter clothing and use fans while repairs are underway. Partnership Elementary also experienced issues involving its chillers and circulation pump.
Wake County Public School System Superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor said the district is working to address HVAC-related problems as quickly as possible.
He said the district had reduced the number of open HVAC work requests from 50 to 31.
"But what we recognize is that, the conditions that we're in today, this will not happen overnight. And it's not going to be resolved overnight. But we are very confident in the work that our teams are doing to address, what we know is an issue across the entire state, not just Wake County, but we are doing our due diligence to make sure we go in, do the maintenance that's necessary to address those critical issues when they come in," Taylor said.
Taylor also said schools can close if classroom temperatures become too hot. He pointed to the broader challenge of replacing aging HVAC systems, which are included in a $680 million bond that Wake County voters will decide on in November.
