The Little Rock School District is proud to announce that it has been named both a Winner and Selectee of the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize and Grant. This prestigious recognition, awarded earlier this month, was made possible through our valued partners, Energia, a leading K-12 Energy Management Consulting firm, and Protect|ED, a national leader in indoor air quality solutions for schools.
The Renew America’s Schools Prize and Grant, a competition administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), aims to support critical upgrades in energy efficiency and indoor air quality for K-12 public schools across the country. The grant focused on 17 school facilities that met the eligibility criteria and include: Central, Mabelvale Middle, Bale, Carver, Baseline, Gibbs, Chicot, King, Geyer Springs, Stephens, Washington, Mabelvale EL, Wakefield, Watson, Dunbar, and Romine.
This opportunity was highly competitive, with only 16% of applicants receiving funding. Applications included requests from 368 local educational agencies across 42 states, 2 territories, and the District of Columbia. Little Rock School District stood out for successfully identifying 17 buildings in critical need of energy infrastructure upgrades and coordinating, and for building strategic partnerships so the District is well-positioned to accomplish its energy project goals. In addition to being awarded a $300,000 prize, LRSD has been invited to move into a cooperative agreement with the DOE, valued at over $11 million ($11,250,000).
The District will work with Energia to conduct a comprehensive energy assessment, identifying potential savings and prioritizing necessary improvements.