Another Wake County school in Cary is dealing with air conditioning issues as we enter a stretch of intense, unseasonable heat.

Green Level High School’s administration sent a message to families on Tuesday about the school's HVAC issues. It said both of the school's chillers that cool the school were failing. One of the units had a major failure and needed to be replaced, and the other needed an "invasive repair" that would take the unit offline for a day or more.

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The issues come as the area is expected to see intense, near-record heat through Friday. Highs are expected to reach close to 100 degrees each afternoon, and with humidity the heat index will climb to 103 to 108 degrees.

"Administration is monitoring conditions throughout our building, including classroom temperatures and the performance of our HVAC systems. Where needed, we are using fans, relocating classes to cooler areas of the building, adjusting blinds, providing additional water breaks, etc. Students are encouraged to stay hydrated, bring a refillable water bottle to school, and wear lightweight, comfortable clothing that follows our school dress guidelines," the letter said.

Green Level High School said it intends on keeping its regular learning schedule. 

"You may choose to come pick up your student early if they are experiencing discomfort due to these conditions. Please bring your identification as we will be following our regular checkout procedures," the letter said. "If conditions require additional changes to the school day or school activities, we will communicate those directly with you."

Wake County parents and teachers have reached out to us for months on WRAL Report It about uncomfortable conditions at other schools because of HVAC failures.

►WRAL analysis: Inspections find HVAC concerns at 1 in 3 Wake schools

More than a third of Wake County schools had an HVAC issue at the time of their inspection, according to Wake Health Inspection records tracked by WRAL Investigates.

At least seven other schools in Wake County have had confirmed HVAC outages, including:

  • Lynn Road Elementary School
    • Banks Road Elementary School
      • South Garner High School
        • Millbrook High School
          • Wendell Magnet Elementary School
            • Douglas Magnet Elementary School
              • Penny Road Elementary School

                WRAL asked Wake County schools last week how many HVAC technicians it has, whether it is hiring more and whether it contracts with outside companies for repairs. A spokesperson said the district currently has 13 HVAC technicians but did not immediately answer the other questions.

                Wake Superintendent Robert Taylor told WRAL that "equipment breaks down," leading to outages, but repairs usually begin within 24 hours.

                The Wake County Public School System’s HVAC issues extend beyond extreme-weather days. Some issues were observed on days that had mild weather, in addition to the days that had more extreme temperatures.

                HVAC problems on extreme-temperature days have led to early dismissals at dozens of schools across the county in recent years. District leaders say HVAC repairs account for one-quarter of the $800 million backlog in maintenance that the district is struggling to address.