Richmond Schools awarded $15M to reduce energy costs, improve student health

The United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) has awarded $15,300,000 to Richmond Public Schools (RPS) through the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize and Grant Program.

The federal funding will support RPS’s Energy Improvement Project, an initiative to reduce school energy costs, increase energy efficiency and improve teacher and student health, including overall comfort and indoor air quality. The project will support upgrades at 22 Title I schools throughout the RPS system.

“Thanks to the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration and the hard work of congressional Democrats, Richmond Public Schools will receive robust federal funding to support much-needed energy efficiency upgrades. This funding will reduce energy costs, improve public health outcomes, and support good-paying jobs of the future,” Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, who represents Virginia’s District 4, said. “As a mother to two children in Richmond Public Schools, I know firsthand the challenges they face, including decades of underinvestment and aging school infrastructure. Throughout my career in public office, I have fought to bolster investments in our public school systems and ensure our children can receive a quality education that supports their goals and aspirations. Now in Congress, I will continue fighting to bring federal funding back to Virginia’s education systems to help prepare our next generation of leaders.”

The $15.3 million award will support RPS’s partnership with coalition partners, including Communities in Schools and Virginia Community Voice, to engage the student population and local communities to ensure the equitable implementation of the Energy Improvement Project.

While in the Virginia General Assembly, McClellan championed legislation to create the Commission on School Construction and Modernization, which she then chaired until her election to Congress. She also created the School Construction Fund and Program to provide grants to K-12 schools that need financial support for construction and modernization. In Congress, McClellan is a member of the Pre-K and Child Care Caucus and a cosponsor of H.R. 5049, the Rebuild America’s Schools Act, to establish a need-based grant program for local education agencies to upgrade and modernize school facilities.