BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
The Martin County School District is among 25 districts nationwide to receive $100,000 as a Phase 1 winner in the Energy Champions Leading the Advancement of Sustainable Schools Prize.
The Energy CLASS Prize is a competitive award promoting energy management in school districts across America.
Martin County School District will use the grant to establish, train and support energy managers in schools.
The energy managers will develop projects and skills to lower energy costs, improve indoor air quality and enhance learning environments in the community.
In its Energy CLASS Prize application, Martin County School District said it hopes to upgrade aging HVAC systems.
“We also would like to upgrade Martin County Middle School and Eden with a solar panel array,” the district wrote in the submission. “Martin County Middle School could also be upgraded to geothermal heating and cooling. The impact would be substantial reductions in utility costs.”
Phase 1 winners will move on to Phase 2, participating in up to 160 hours of coaching, coursework and skills development through the Energy CLASS Prize Training Network. Teams of Energy Champions will receive one-on-one support from professionals and experts to pursue energy upgrade projects the district prioritizes.
According to Martin County’s submission, the team will include the district maintenance director and three repair technicians.
“Energy improvements for schools create healthier learning environments for our children and can help them reach their full potential in the classroom,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.
At the end of Phase 2, participants will submit a progress report and a plan for future building upgrades. Teams that demonstrate their dedication to financing and managing projects, establishing effective plans and publicly championing their work will be eligible to receive an additional $50,000 cash prize. Phase 2 is expected to open in May 2023 and conclude in May 2024.
As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, this funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law advances the Department of Energy’s mission to streamline investments in clean energy workforce development, which is critical to the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050.
DOE’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs administers the Energy CLASS Prize.
LEAs from 30 states submitted applications, 33% of which included rural schools and 60% of which included DOE-identified Disadvantaged Communities. All applications included schools eligible for Title 1 Schoolwide Programming, and 77% identified as serving populations in which 50% or more students qualified for free and reduced-price lunch.
Submissions represented approximately 1.5 million students and teachers from schools across America.