Wenatchee School District maintenance director outlines aging facilities, staffing and compliance challenges

Brian Bracke, director of maintenance and operations for the Wenatchee School District, told the school board the district’s maintenance and operations (M&O) team has rebuilt departmental culture and completed visible facility improvements but now faces mounting repair needs, limited budgets and staffing shortages.

Bracke said the department maintains more than 1,200,000 square feet of usable building space across 14 schools and support sites, plus roughly 108 acres of turf and 39 acres of undeveloped property. He described a trades team that includes carpenters, painters, HVAC technicians, a plumber and locksmiths; a custodial staff that reaches 37 when fully staffed; grounds crews; and shipping/warehouse personnel.

Why it matters: Bracke said the work touches student experience and safety across the district. He urged board members to see the scope of M&O’s responsibilities when weighing budget decisions and long-term facility planning.

Bracke credited a recent cultural shift for improving morale and performance. “Employees don’t leave bad jobs. They leave because of bad leadership,” Bracke said, describing steps to empower staff, set expectations and recognize work. He pointed to recent projects such as high-school bathroom renovations, conversion of classrooms into science spaces and district athletic-field work as examples of what the team has built.

But Bracke identified several constraints. He said many building systems are beyond typical service life, parts are difficult to find and some components are no longer manufactured. He gave sprinkler components and older hydraulic systems as examples of parts that are now hard to source and said replacement is sometimes more cost-effective than repeated repairs. “That’s where some of the frustration is,” he said, describing conversations with district administrators about road‑mapping replacements.

Bracke also flagged compliance work connected to state requirements. He referenced “House Bill 1257” in the context of state compliance the district must meet, and said meeting those requirements will demand additional funding and community support.

On staffing and workload, Bracke said the district’s square footage and acreage create an operational burden while hiring pools have thinned. He described pressure on remaining staff when vacancies occur and noted the department is actively planning for future needs through a facilities committee that includes district administrators.

Board-level questions focused on budget communication and replacement planning. When asked whether M&O has “a seat at the table” in budget talks, Bracke said he does and that he regularly advocates for more staff and resources. In follow-up discussion, board members and administrators agreed that recurring repairs can become inefficient and noted the need to prioritize larger replacements where practical.

Bracke closed by inviting board members to tour the M&O facility and suggested spending a day observing the team’s work to better understand daily challenges.

Ending: The board followed the presentation with a short Q&A before moving on to the next operational director’s report.