States to Receive $190 Million to Improve Health, Safety, & Lower Energy Costs in K-12 Public Schools Across America

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Biden-Harris Administration Declares States to Obtain $190 Million to Enhance Well being, Security, and Decrease Power Prices in Okay-12 Public Faculties Throughout America

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In help of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agendathe U.S. Division of Power (DOE) right now introduced alternatives for the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize and Granta three-phase, $190 million funding to assist Okay-12 public colleges make power upgrades that can lower power use and prices, enhance indoor air high quality, and foster more healthy studying environments for college students and academics. DOE recognized 21 phase-one winners who will earn a $300,000 money prize for his or her work constructing groups and figuring out amenities with compelling wants for enhancements. As well as, 16 of those prize winners will advance to the following phases and enter cooperative agreements with DOE for as much as $15 million in awards, with plans to spend money on 320 faculty amenities throughout 25 states and straight benefitting over 123,000 college students and 9,100 academics.

“Schools are the centers of our communities, and the need for investment in our children’s learning environments is key to ensure their overall well-being and ultimate success.” stated U.S. Secretary of Power Jennifer M. Granholm. “With today’s funding, DOE is creating new pathways for districts and partners so thousands of students can learn in safe, sustainable schools creating a healthy environment for all.”

“Our nation’s schools – including classrooms, buildings, and operations – are essential to taking on the climate crisis as we work to both reduce pollution and create safer, healthier learning environments for children, especially in the face of new weather extremes like record, climate-fueled heat waves,” stated White Home Nationwide Local weather Advisor Ali Zaidi. “Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, this Administration is continuing to implement the nation’s first comprehensive strategy for climate-smart schools, providing historic new tools to enable bold climate progress across the country – including the investments announced today. These grants will go a long way toward upgrading our nation’s classrooms with innovative solutions, from installing clean energy technologies that lower costs to installing new HVAC systems that improve indoor air quality, and they will create good paying union jobs at the same time.”

DOE acknowledges the numerous impacts of wholesome and secure amenities for college students, academics, and directors. Poor indoor environmental high quality can increase illnesses and absences and reduce tutorial efficiency; lighting influences cognition and tutorial efficiency, and so does thermal comfort. Over the previous decade, the mixture of temperature will increase and both poorly geared up or poorly maintained power infrastructure has doubled the frequency of school closures on account of warmth in lots of areas of the nation, creating well being and financial ripple results for complete communities.

The 16 selectees are partnering with over 100 entities, together with subrecipient native instructional companies (LEAs), consultants, power service firms, utility firms, state and native authorities places of work, financing companions, labor unions, and federally funded analysis and growth facilities. Total, 55 LEAs will profit from these funds.

Selectees for Prize & Cooperative Settlement:

• Alaska Municipal League & 3 LEAs (AK)
• Canton Metropolis College District (OH)
• Constitution Faculties Improvement Company & 13 LEAs (AZ, GA, IN, MI, MN, MO, NM, NY, NV, OH)
• Irvington Public Faculties (NJ)
• Little Rock College District (AR)
• Lowell Public Faculties (MA)
• Marion County College District (SC)
• Miami-Dade County Public Faculties (FL)
• Omni Power Companions LLC & 9 LEAs (IL)
• Oregon Division of Training & 7 LEAs (OR)
• Pittsburgh Public Faculties & 1 LEA (PA)
• Raza Improvement Fund, Inc & 11 LEAs (AZ, CA, MN, NM, TX, NY, WA)
• Richmond Public Faculties (VA)
• Rockingham County Faculties (NC)
• Saint Louis Public Faculties (MO)
• Wichita Public Faculties (KS)

Prize Winners:

• Broward County Public Faculties (FL)
• Chicago Public Faculties (IL)
• Hoke County Faculties (NC)
• College District of Philadelphia (PA)
• West Kentucky Academic Cooperative (KY)

Delivering on DOE’s Dedication to Wholesome Studying Environments

The 2024 Renew America’s Faculties Prize and Grant will help power enchancment tasks like new heating, air flow and air-con techniques, constructing envelope and lighting upgrades, different gasoline (akin to electrical) autos and infrastructure, and renewable power applied sciences. In alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative to place environmental and financial justice on the heart of America’s transition to a net-zero financial system, venture advantages – together with well being advantages from improved indoor air high quality, improved thermal consolation, higher lighting, and value financial savings from lowered power expenditures – will circulate to deprived communities which are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened with air pollution. 100% of Selectees are supporting recognized deprived communities), and 71% of funded faculty amenities are in recognized deprived communities; 94% serve populations during which greater than 50% of scholars qualify for Free-and-Diminished-Value-Lunch (FRPL), and 88% serve populations during which greater than 75% of scholars qualify for FRPL. Forty-four % of Selectee portfolios embrace colleges in a rural locale, and 19% embrace colleges that serve Tribes.

The 2024 Renew America’s Faculties Prize and Grant helps the Investing in America Agendacreating well-paying jobs and upskilling the American workforce whereas constructing infrastructure to help a net-zero financial system. Eighty-eight % of Selectees will supply workforce coaching by means of different mechanisms, together with community-based apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship readiness packages, college packages, and job-shadowing. Sixty-three % of Selectees have made commitments to have interaction native labor, and 63% cited particular labor unions with whom they intend to associate. Forty-four % have made commitments to have interaction, associate, or contract with community-based organizations, Tribal entities, women-focused packages or girls companies enterprises, minority enterprise enterprises, and/or veteran enterprise enterprises.

This announcement builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader dedication to make sure that America’s kids have what they should thrive within the classroom. For the reason that Biden-Harris Action Plan for Building Better School Infrastructure was first introduced in April 2022, the administration’s historic legislative accomplishments proceed to ship safer, more healthy, and extra environmentally sustainable studying environments for America’s kids, whereas saving faculty districts cash, creating good jobs, and combatting local weather change. The Renew America’s Faculties Program performed an integral function within the White House Summit for Sustainable and Healthy K-12 School Buildings and Groundswhich passed off in April 2024, and the Program continues to catalyze sector change by creating and curating assets, convening stakeholders, and funding tasks that exhibit scalable and replicable fashions for college power enhancements.

The 2024 Renew America’s Faculties Prize and Grant is the second spherical of funding from the Renew America’s Faculties Program, a first-of-its-kind, $500 million program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Regulation (BIL). Established in 2022 as a part of the Biden-Harris Action Plan for Building Better School Infrastructurethe Renew America’s Faculties Program helps colleges throughout the nation make power upgrades that can lower power use and prices, enhance indoor air high quality, and foster more healthy studying environments.

Go to 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize and Grant webpage to study extra about Winners and Selectees.  For instruments, assets, and different alternatives, go to the Renew America’s Schools Program web page or join our mailing list.Contact us at schools@doe.gov. DOE anticipates opening purposes for a 3rd spherical of funding in Fall 2025.

Courtesy of U.S. Division of Power