States to Obtain $190 Million to Enhance Well being, Security, & Decrease Power Prices in Okay-12 Public Faculties Throughout America

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Biden-Harris Administration Pronounces 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 assist of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Division of Power (DOE) as we speak introduced picks for the 2024 Renew America’s Faculties Prize and Grant, a 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 lecturers. 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 subsequent 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 immediately benefitting over 123,000 college students and 9,100 lecturers.

“Faculties are the facilities of our communities, and the necessity for funding in our youngsters’s studying environments is vital to make sure their total well-being and supreme success.” stated U.S. Secretary of Power Jennifer M. Granholm. “With as we speak’s funding, DOE is creating new pathways for districts and companions so hundreds of scholars can study in secure, sustainable colleges making a wholesome setting for all.”

“Our nation’s colleges – together with lecture rooms, buildings, and operations – are important to taking over the local weather disaster as we work to each cut back air pollution and create safer, more healthy studying environments for kids, particularly within the face of recent climate extremes like report, climate-fueled warmth waves,” stated White Home Nationwide Local weather Advisor Ali Zaidi. “Beneath the management of President Biden and Vice President Harris, this Administration is continuous to implement the nation’s first complete technique for climate-smart colleges, offering historic new instruments to allow daring local weather progress throughout the nation – together with the investments introduced as we speak. These grants will go a great distance towards upgrading our nation’s lecture rooms with modern options, from putting in clear power applied sciences that decrease prices to putting in new HVAC methods that enhance indoor air high quality, and they’ll create good paying union jobs on the identical time.”

DOE acknowledges the numerous impacts of wholesome and secure amenities for college students, lecturers, and directors. Poor indoor environmental high quality can improve sicknesses and absences and reduce educational efficiency; lighting influences cognition and educational efficiency, and so does thermal consolation. Over the previous decade, the mix of temperature will increase and both poorly outfitted or poorly maintained power infrastructure has doubled the frequency of faculty closures because of warmth in lots of areas of the nation, creating well being and financial ripple results for total communities.

The 16 selectees are partnering with over 100 entities, together with subrecipient native academic companies (LEAs), consultants, power service corporations, utility corporations, state and native authorities workplaces, financing companions, labor unions, and federally funded analysis and growth facilities. General, 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 Schooling & 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 assist power enchancment tasks like new heating, air flow and air con methods, constructing envelope and lighting upgrades, different gas (akin to electrical) automobiles 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 economic system, venture advantages – together with well being advantages from improved indoor air high quality, improved thermal consolation, higher lighting, and price financial savings from diminished power expenditures – will movement 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 wherein greater than 50% of scholars qualify for Free-and-Lowered-Value-Lunch (FRPL), and 88% serve populations wherein greater than 75% of scholars qualify for FRPL. Forty-four p.c 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 Agenda, creating well-paying jobs and upskilling the American workforce whereas constructing infrastructure to assist a net-zero economic system. Eighty-eight p.c of Selectees will supply workforce coaching by means of assorted mechanisms, together with community-based apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship readiness packages, college packages, and job-shadowing. Sixty-three p.c of Selectees have made commitments to have interaction native labor, and 63% cited particular labor unions with whom they intend to accomplice. Forty-four p.c have made commitments to have interaction, accomplice, or contract with community-based organizations, Tribal entities, women-focused packages or ladies 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. Because the Biden-Harris Motion Plan for Constructing Higher College 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 position within the White Home Summit for Sustainable and Wholesome Okay-12 College Buildings and Grounds, which came about in April 2024, and the Program continues to catalyze sector change by creating and curating sources, convening stakeholders, and funding tasks that reveal scalable and replicable fashions for varsity 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 Legislation (BIL). Established in 2022 as a part of the Biden-Harris Motion Plan for Constructing Higher College Infrastructure, the 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 Faculties Prize and Grant webpage to study extra about Winners and Selectees.  For instruments, sources, and different alternatives, go to the Renew America’s Faculties Program web page or be part of our mailing listing.Contact us at colleges@doe.gov. DOE anticipates opening purposes for a 3rd spherical of funding in Fall 2025.

Courtesy of U.S. Division of Power