Wake County School Closure Exposes Safety Lapses

Crossroads Flex High School operated for a decade without meeting fire safety standards required for schools

Apr. 11, 2026 at 7:29am

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An abstract, impressionistic photograph of a blurred, hazy classroom scene, with soft, warm pools of color and light, conveying the disruption and uncertainty caused by the school's sudden closure.The sudden closure of Crossroads Flex High School due to fire safety lapses has disrupted the education of 150 students, raising broader concerns about oversight of school facilities.Cary Today

A routine phone call uncovered that Crossroads Flex High School in Wake County, North Carolina had been operating for 10 years without meeting the fire safety standards required for schools. The school was mistakenly classified as a business, allowing it to bypass critical safety features like sprinkler systems and fire alarms. The sudden closure forced 150 students into virtual learning before being relocated, leaving parents and officials scrambling to address the systemic failures that allowed this to happen.

Why it matters

This incident highlights concerning gaps in oversight and classification of educational facilities, raising questions about whether other schools could be operating in similar legal gray areas that compromise student safety. The abrupt disruption to students' learning also underscores the challenges of remote instruction, especially for subjects like math.

The details

In early 2026, a call from a Wake County school administrator to the fire marshal's office revealed that Crossroads Flex High School, housed in a multi-tenant office building, had been operating for a decade without meeting the fire safety standards required for schools. The school was mistakenly categorized as a business in its paperwork, allowing it to bypass regular inspections and critical safety features like sprinklers and fire alarms that are mandated for educational facilities.

  • In 2016, the school was operating under informal guidance from the state Department of Insurance that limited occupancy to 50 people.
  • The school was inspected every 3 years as a business by the town of Cary, rather than the 6-month inspections required for schools.
  • The school was suddenly closed in January 2026 after the safety issues were uncovered, forcing students into virtual learning.

The players

Crossroads Flex High School

A high-performing public high school in Wake County, North Carolina that was mistakenly classified as a business rather than an educational facility.

Wake County Public School System

The school district that leased the building for Crossroads Flex High School and was aware of exceeding the 50-person occupancy limit, but declined multiple interview requests.

Town of Cary

The local government that inspected Crossroads Flex High School every 3 years as a business, rather than the 6-month inspections required for schools.

North Carolina Department of Insurance

The state agency that provided informal guidance in 2016 about the 50-person occupancy limit for the school, but has remained tight-lipped about the incident.

Jodi Bulmer

The president of the Crossroads Flex High School Parent Teacher Student Association.

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What they’re saying

“It just seemed like everybody was pointing fingers at everybody else.”

— Jodi Bulmer, President, Crossroads Flex High School PTSA

“You can't learn math over Zoom.”

— Rachael Sylvester, Parent of Crossroads Flex High School student

What’s next

The Wake County Public School System plans to relocate Crossroads Flex High School to a training center in Garner next fall, but the transition faces challenges as some families consider other schools due to the longer commute.

The takeaway

This incident at Crossroads Flex High School exposes systemic failures in how educational facilities are classified and inspected, raising concerns that similar safety lapses could be occurring at other schools. It underscores the need for greater oversight and accountability to ensure student safety, as well as the difficulties of remote learning, especially for core academic subjects.