Wake County Schools maintenance updates: Brasfield water issue, Leesville chiller drive and Reedy Creek sewer work

Wake County Schools maintenance staff updated the board on June 18 about several ongoing repairs affecting multiple campuses and about staffing levels in maintenance trades.

Senior maintenance staff said Brasfield Elementary experienced a groundwater‑related water‑quality problem that led to a dismissal the previous day. Staff said the problem involves scaling and chemical treatment is in progress while they price replacement parts; if parts are required they plan work over the July 4 week because Brasfield is a year‑round school and July is the window with fewer students on site. Maintenance staff said they are managing the system so students can remain in school while repairs proceed.

At the Leesville campus, staff reported a “very expensive” failed drive on one of two central plant chillers that serve three campuses. The district moved a temporary unit into place; once funding is secured the plan is to procure replacement parts and reinstall permanent equipment. Staff said temporary chillers on hand should maintain operations until permanent repairs are made.

Staff also described Reedy Creek campus issues: a sanitary forced main and an underperforming lift station. The district is working with the town of Cary and an existing capital project; in the meantime staff initiated temporary pumping and hauling and limited campus rentals for the summer to reduce costs while repairs proceed.

Maintenance leadership said hiring has improved in some trades; HVAC staffing is stronger than in prior years but the department still needs additional skilled staff in grounds and other critical shops. Supervisors said they are pairing less‑experienced craftsmen with experienced technicians over the summer to accelerate training. Staff said filling current vacancies is the first priority, followed by recruiting additional capacity.

Board members asked about system redundancy at the Leesville campus; staff explained the campus was designed with two large water‑cooled chillers to serve multiple buildings, which is efficient but limits redundancy when one component fails. Staff said a portion of the complex — the Murphy Building — has a standalone air‑cooled chiller, and the district maintains temporary chillers in its yard that can be deployed for extended use.

On the topic of year‑round schools, board members and staff discussed constraints for performing major repairs when buildings are occupied year‑round. Staff said they prioritize long weekends, teacher workdays, nights and holiday periods for disruptive work and that year‑round scheduling makes full outages more expensive and complex. One board member asked that board members be notified when HVAC systems at particular schools are repaired so they can help communicate with families; staff said they will propose communication options.

Staff also noted other pending repairs — elevator, sprinkler and site work projects — that are lined up pending new funding and scheduled to begin after July 1. The maintenance team said its goal over the summer is to complete essential warranty and punchlist items at the new schools opening this summer and to address as many deferred repairs as funding allows.

Ending: District maintenance leadership emphasized continued attention to staffing, short‑term temporary measures to keep campuses operational, and follow‑up communication to the board about repair timelines and notification options for completed HVAC repairs.