Heating failing across the Middle of CC Shut Down Five Schools!!  

According to the National Weather Service, the low temperature in Boiling Springs, NC was 16 DegF on Monday-Morning, Jan 22, 2024. This is cold for Cleveland County, but not nearly a record low by a long shot.

 

Yet Five Cleveland County Schools Experienced Heating system failures that required full or partial school closings:

 

  1. Boiling Springs Elementary
  2. Number 3 Elementary
  3. Springmore Elementary
  4. Crest Middle School
  5. Crest High School

 

This statement shown below was a sample of the announcements made on Cleveland County Schools Facebook Website and other school sites. Some of these five schools also had heating system problems that extended into Tuesday, January 23, 2024.

 

Boiling Springs Elementary: No School for Students – Monday, January 22, 2024

We are so very sorry to notify you so close to the start of school today, but we are having issues with our heat at the school and have discovered that the issue is going to take more time than we have in order to create a warm learning environment today. We realize buses are in route, so we will continue the route this morning. For any students picked up by our buses, we will begin dismissal at approximately 8:15 a.m. after breakfast. As for staff, this will be an optional teacher workday, and any staff members with additional questions may reach out to Principal Hall directly.

Parents, if you also have any questions, feel free to give us a call at the school.

 

What this message did NOT say was that non-fire code approved Space Heaters and various related extension cords are abundant in most Cleveland County Schools under teachers’ desks to keep their legs warm on these cold days. This kind of installation not only represents a serious fire hazard from the heaters, but the extra electricity at the electrical outlets often overloads the school’s wiring system and often trips the circuit breakers. Which is also a safety and fire hazard. It is reported that when the Fire Marshall’s office schedules an inspection, the Schools scurry around to hide those Space Heaters and extension cords so the Fire Marshall won’t see them and issue a citation.

 

Now, let’s evaluate this situation:

  • The heat problem schools listed above are NOT in the coldest areas in Cleveland County, like Fallston, Casar and Polkville. They are in the old County School System.
  • The average age of all schools in Cleveland County is almost 60 years old. With no plans for replacements.
  • All these older schools have had their HVAC systems repaired, replaced, modified, and maintained in piecemeal bits and pieces over these many years.
  • The “H” in HVAC stands for “Heating.” Which is an integral component of all HVAC systems design and operational functions.
  • Proper HVAC system design calculates both heating and cooling load requirements at design conditions. Record high and record low temperatures.

 

Now consider this, one school’s heating system failure could be considered a fluke and not to cause much of an alarm. Five simultaneous school heating system failures represent a serious indication of basic and systemic failures within the CCS Schools Operations and Maintenance organization itself. As well as the basic and systemic failure of the CCS Superintendent, School Board, and all accountability requirements placed on CCS by funding agencies (including the CC Commissioners) to exercise fiscal responsibility and accountability for every tax dollar and other dollars that they receive and spend in the name of educating our children.

 

So, folks, what about the educational hours that have been lost for all those schools and students who were sent home because of the failures in these five schools’ heating system? Many thousands of hours of a child’s education were lost this week on something that was obviously preventable by good management teams at many levels. Especially at the top of the management chain here in Cleveland County. Where were Superintendent Stephen Fisher, The Maintenance and Operations Director Jennifer Wampler, CCS School Board Chairman Robert Queen and his flunkies, And Kevin Gordon and the County Commissioners for that matter. Where were their self-proclaimed leadership skills during this educational emergency, much less when these systemic management failures were stacking up one by one during the process listed above?

 

Robert A predicts that NOT ONE WORD will be said about the leadership failures at all those levels that led to all these facility problems (and all the other facility problems that have not surfaced yet)! Especially during this 2024 Election period. When the temperatures warm up for a while, all will be forgotten.

 

When Robert A is elected Cleveland County Commissioner, he will place accountability requirements onto every agency and group that receives Cleveland County taxpayer dollars to be transparent with their account books and apply standardized due diligence efforts to ensure fiscal responsibility and operational efficiency. And be inspected for compliance. Otherwise, tax dollars will be withheld.

Elect Robert A Williams for Cleveland County Commissioner in 2024.

This is the campaign sign that cannot be bought or stolen!!