Published October 23, 2026 at 2:04 PM EDT

Every weekend this month, a group of Wake County educators hits the pavement to knock on doors in neighborhoods around Raleigh.

This election, Wake County voters will consider a $680 million loan from the county for school repairs. The Wake chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators is campaigning for that bond, and warning that other tax measures on the ballot could squeeze school funding down the road.

Liz Schlemmer

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WUNC

Cecelia Joyce, a school librarian at Dillard Drive Magnet Elementary and member of Wake NCAE, goes canvassing in Raleigh. Oct 10, 2026.

"Hi, I'm Cecelia. I'm a school teacher here in Wake County," said Cecilia Joyce, introducing herself to a voter.

Joyce is talking to voters about two proposed amendments to the state constitution that would put permanent limits on income and property taxes, which fund public schools. And she's promoting the local bond in Wake County.

Joyce is a longtime Wake County educator, and a longtime canvasser with the local association of educators. She said voters have a lot on their minds this year – and that’s made it tough to get the group’s message out.

"Their pocketbooks are strained," Joyce said. "The economy is a struggle for working families."

If the local school bond passes, it would cost Wake County homeowners another $20 a year in property taxes for a median value home. Joyce said it can be hard to ask people for that investment.

"However, I think if you ask those same folks, 'Do you want your child or children in your community to go to a school that is safe?’ They would all say yes," she said.

In many cases, Joyce said the renovations needed are a safety issue, because of mold, pests, structural risks, and security measures the bond could help address.

She said the bond falls short of what the North Carolina Association of Educators estimates it would cost to fix those issues at all the district's schools. If it passes, 55 buildings are slated for major renovations.

Fred Olds Elementary is on that list. It's due for a new roof, intercom, and HVAC system. Right outside Principal Kristen McCollum's office is the first sign of needed repairs. Water drips from an open ceiling tile into a bucket.

"They are working on HVAC things right now where those ceiling tiles are," McCollum said.

Olds Elementary was built in 1927 and the original part of the building still houses classrooms today.

"We are almost 100, which we're excited to celebrate, but with that does come the needs of an older and aging building," McCollum said.

In that old wing, a handful of classrooms can get excessively hot. McCollum said on a sweltering day a few years ago, she left school and made a trip to a bargain outlet to pick up box fans.

"Well, I ran to Ollie's – they're motto is good stuff cheap – and got as much bang for our buck as we could," McCollum said. "I think I bought like six fans. I've done that twice so far."

Some lucky classes have benefited from donations. In third grade teacher Morgan Scheil's class, a student's parent donated a portable air conditioning unit that hums in the corner.

Matt Ramey

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for WUNC

Third grade teacher Morgan Scheil said the school year is going more smoothly after a student's parent donated a portable AC unit for her classroom.

"That's definitely helped. But you know, it's not like not every teacher has access to that," Scheil said.

The school looked into buying more units like this one, but they retail for around $500 a piece. Scheil's classroom has only had its unit for about a month. Before that, her class faced hot days earlier this fall. She said the temperature indoors rose to as high as 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

"It was tough for them to learn. It was tough for me to teach," Scheil said.

Scheil said she hopes voters will connect the bond on their ballot to everyday conditions in the schools. Because if the bond doesn't pass, the needs will still be there.