Wake County Schools details plan to remove trailers, update mobile-unit costs and tie projects to 2026 bond planning
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Summary
District staff told the Facilities Committee it has more than 600 mobile classroom units (about 19,000 seats, ~11% of capacity) and presented a multi-year plan to remove and relocate units during renovations; staff connected trailer removals and new-school placeholders to a November 2026 bond referendum that would fund FY 2028–29 projects.
District facilities staff presented a multi-year Capital Improvement Program update that focused on mobile classrooms, planned removals and the link to bond-funded projects. The presentation said Wake County Schools currently has over 600 mobile units providing roughly 19,000 additional student seats, representing about 11% of district capacity.
"We still have over 600 mobile units, which provides about 19,000 additional seats for our students," the presenter said, then outlined cost estimates used for planning: a rough $125,000 per classroom to renovate an existing trailer, about $300,000 per classroom to add a trailer to a campus, and two flexible-capacity options priced at approximately $2.5 million per six classrooms (built as part of a renovation or new build) or about $3.0 million per six classrooms for partial renovation add-ons.
Staff presented a schedule of relocations and removals. Prior to the 2026–27 school year, the district plans to relocate a six-classroom unit from Leesville Middle and an eight-classroom unit from Middle Creek High to Wakelawn Elementary to address growth in the Zebulon area, and remove multiple single units from campuses including Durant Road Middle and Westlake Middle. Additional relocations and removals are planned for 2027–28 across several campuses (listed during the presentation) with an estimated multi-year reduction in trailers by 2029.
Committee members asked about inspection and suitability before relocations. Facilities staff said trailers are evaluated and renovated before reassignment and that units in poor condition would be retired rather than moved. "The trailers are renovated when they're relocated," staff said, adding that the $125,000 figure can represent a full "down-to-studs" renovation depending on condition.
Committee members pressed staff on how K–3 class-size legislation affected capacity and long-term costs. Staff and board members said the legislation reduced usable seats districtwide by about 9,000 — roughly the equivalent of 13 elementary schools — and that meeting the mandate without additional state funding created a significant, unfunded capital need. Committee members discussed the long-term cost implications of that effect and asked staff to update prior cost analyses.
Staff also reviewed life-cycle work (HVAC/chiller replacements) in the current fiscal year and noted the district will present the CIP again next month ahead of required bond planning. The county has directed the district to name projects for a November 2026 bond referendum; staff said that referendum would fund projects in fiscal years 2028–29 and included placeholders for future years to preserve flexibility in school naming and project sequencing.
Next steps: staff will provide the committee a multi-year update on mobile-unit removals and continue CIP discussion next month as the district finalizes project lists for the bond planning cycle.