HVAC problems at WCPSS are largely of their own making

WRAL.com recently ran an article on how Wake County school leaders are scrambling for funding to help fix HVAC problems at district schools. One of the solutions they are considering is to use money originally budgeted for student computers. If you remember, HVAC problems at WCPSS schools contributed to numerous early release days and school closures in recent years. See here and here.

Before we get out the tissues, I’d like to share a few relevant facts. Over the last three years, WCPSS received over $434 million dollars from the federal government for Covid relief. According to the legislation, school districts could spend the money in any number of ways to help reduce the spread of Covid-19, including improving air quality and replacing and repairing HVAC systems in schools. One of the only real restrictions on funding was that at least 20 percent of the money had to be spent on activities or functions related to redressing learning loss.

According to the latest expenditure data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, over the last three years, WCPSS spent a combined 0 Covid dollars on HVAC equipment.

When asked for a comment, WCPSS Chief Communications Officer Lisa Luten said WCPSS invested in HVAC during the pandemic from the capital budget. However, when asked twice about the size of the investment, no specific numbers were forthcoming. Luten made reference to $93.2 million in facility improvements and repairs the district made to minimize virus transmission. However, there was no breakdown of how much of those $93.2 million in expenditures were for HVAC repair and replacement.

WCPSS officials have been saying HVAC issues have been causing problems in schools for years. They have estimated the backlog in HVAC maintenance and replacement needs at over $200 million. If that’s the case, why did WCPSS essentially pass on using readily available federal funding to help resolve the problem? Now, WCPSS wants to use money budgeted for student computers to address HVAC issues? Why? Those are questions Wake County parents and taxpayers deserve to ask and have answered.