President’s Note
For decades, one of Wake County’s greatest challenges was keeping up with extraordinary growth. We built schools — lots of them — because thousands of new students were arriving every year.
Today, the challenge is changing.
Wake County is still growing and we still need new schools in some parts of our community. But we also have schools across Wake County — many built during earlier periods of rapid growth — that are now aging and require significant reinvestment. Anyone who has followed the reports of air-conditioning problems in schools since classes resumed has seen one very visible example of what that means.
On November 3, Wake County voters will consider a $680 million school bond that would help address both sides of the equation: building where growth requires it while making major investments in the schools we already have.
WakeEd Partnership supports the 2026 Wake County School Bond because safe, modern and well-maintained schools are fundamental to teaching and learning — and because investing responsibly in public school facilities has long been part of what makes Wake County a great place to live, work and raise a family.
This is not simply about buildings. It is about the students and educators who walk into them every day.
Keith Poston
President, WakeEd Partnership
The 2026 Wake County School Bond: What Voters Are Being Asked to Decide
On November 3, Wake County voters will decide whether to authorize $680 million in general obligation bonds to fund school construction, renovation and facility improvements. Wake County commissioners have committed an additional $152.3 million in pay-as-you-go funding, bringing the combined investment to more than $832 million.
The Vote Yes Wake Schools campaign officially launched September 2 with business and community leaders making the case for continued investment in the facilities serving Wake County students and educators.
A Different Kind of School Building Program
For much of the past several decades, Wake County’s school construction challenge was driven by explosive enrollment growth. New schools had to be built quickly, and mobile classrooms became a familiar sight across the county.
Growth has moderated, although it has not stopped. That gives WCPSS an opportunity to put greater emphasis on maintaining, renovating and modernizing its existing schools.
The district’s seven-year Capital Improvement Program calls for renovation or replacement of 17 existing school facilities and construction of eight new schools over the life of the plan. The proposed 2026 bond would provide the majority of funding for the next two years of that program, with projects affecting dozens of schools across Wake County.
And the way the bond dollars are allocated reflects that changing need.
The largest share — $372.2 million — is devoted to renovations and refreshes at existing schools, including major work at Hunter Elementary, Athens Drive High, Cary High, Briarcliff Elementary, East Wake High, Wendell Elementary, Ligon Middle, Washington Elementary and East Garner Middle.
Another $156.8 million would address systemwide needs including HVAC systems, chillers and boilers, roofs, fire alarms, elevators and improvements to school sites and athletic facilities.
The plan also includes $143.2 million to build three new schools where additional capacity is needed, along with future-focused investments that include $64.8 million for technology infrastructure and device upgrades, $17.4 million for security improvements, and funding to remove outdated or unused mobile classrooms and trailers.
Put more simply, the bond would help:
- Build three new schools
- Start or complete renovations at nine schools
- Replace aging heating and air-conditioning systems
- Upgrade school safety and security
- Modernize classrooms, labs and learning technology
- Improve more than 10 school sites and athletic facilities
Why HVAC Has Become Part of the Bond Conversation
The need to invest in existing facilities has been particularly visible during the opening weeks of this school year.
Parents and educators at multiple Wake schools have reported air-conditioning problems, with some classrooms reaching uncomfortable temperatures and schools making temporary accommodations while repairs were underway.
Those problems are part of a much larger facilities challenge.
WCPSS currently faces approximately $800 million in deferred maintenance, according to recent reporting by WRAL, with roughly one-quarter of that related to heating, ventilation and air-conditioning. The district has been dealing with dozens of critical facilities work orders each day and is working to shift from reacting to problems as they occur toward a more sustainable approach to maintaining its buildings.
That doesn’t mean the bond alone will solve every HVAC or maintenance problem. Operating funds, preventive maintenance, staffing and better long-term planning are also essential.
But replacing aging systems before they fail is an important part of the solution — and exactly the kind of long-term capital investment bonds are designed to finance.
What Will the Bond Cost?
The $680 million bond represents a significant investment, but general obligation bonds allow the county to spread the cost of long-lived school facilities and infrastructure over the years they will be used.
The estimated property tax impact is $4 per year for every $100,000 in assessed property value — about $21 annually for the average Wake County homeowner.
Wake County also maintains the highest possible AAA credit ratings from all three major rating agencies, allowing the county to borrow at favorable interest rates and reduce financing costs.
In other words, the question isn’t simply what these improvements cost. It’s also how we responsibly pay for investments in schools and infrastructure that will serve Wake County for decades.
And postponing capital needs does not make them disappear.
Roofs continue to age. HVAC systems eventually reach the end of their useful lives. Older schools still require renovation. Safety systems need upgrades. Technology changes. And growing communities still need classroom space.
An Investment in More Than Buildings
Wake County has long understood that strong public schools and a strong community go together.
Quality schools help attract and retain employers and employees. They prepare our future workforce. They support strong neighborhoods and communities. Most importantly, they provide the environment in which more than 160,000 Wake County students learn every day.
As Vote Yes Wake Schools campaign co-chair Melanie Dubis put it at the campaign launch, this matters whether or not you currently have a child in a Wake County public school. Strong schools help attract families, help employers recruit and retain talent, prepare our future workforce and contribute to the quality of life that makes people want to put down roots here.
Wake County’s needs have changed since the years when our overriding challenge was simply building enough schools to keep pace with enrollment.
But our responsibility hasn’t changed: provide students and educators with safe, effective learning environments and make the investments today that will serve this community for decades to come.
On November 3, Wake County voters will have the opportunity to make that choice.
Learn more: Vote Yes Wake Schools | WCPSS 2026 School Bond Information