How a routine phone call led to the closure of a Wake County high school

WRAL Daily Download

How a routine phone call led to the closure of a Wake County high school

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Published on Feb 17, 2026, 3:59:59 AM
Total time: 00:11:22

Episode Description

About 150 students at Crossroads Flex High School are without a school building after fire marshal intervention.

It all started with a phone call in 2023 - a Wake high school administrator made a routine call, asking when the last time Crossroads Flex High School had a fire inspection.

The problem? The Wake County fire marshal’s office had no idea a school was even there.

WRAL education reporter Emily Walkenhorst tells us how this came to pass and what's next for the school and its students.

 

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The WRAL Daily Download is an in-depth conversation about a single news story. WRAL covers news across North Carolina every day, but this podcast focuses on one story at a time, bringing context to each conversation. The in-depth, localized podcast takes you into the latest stories from Raleigh, Durham, and the entire Triangle region on North Carolina. This is community news aimed at keeping you informed about the more subtle stories that are happening around you. Hosted by WRAL News journalists, episodes post weekdays by 4:30am.