Funding Available and Timeline for Expenditure Total


PreK–12 Public Bill


CARES Act CRRSAA


American Rescue Plan Act


Passed Appropriation


March 27, 2020 $2.2 Trillion December 27, 2020 $900 Billion March 11, 2021


$1.9 Trillion


Education Allocation $13.5 Billion $54.3 Billion $122.0 Billion


Funds to LEAs (%) Must Obligate by


90.0 December 30, 2021 90.0 September 30, 2022* 87.5 September 30, 2023*


* The Tydings Amendment allows for one additional year for expenditure. CRRSAA = Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.


determined by dividing the building’s total energy use by its square footage.


Establishing a culture of collecting and sharing this information is core to improving buildings, both for operational costs and for student and teacher health.


Define goals with stakeholders. Armed with data insights into current performance, key stakehold- ers should define goals for school building improve- ment projects, including specific and time-bound goals related to air-quality metrics, energy and water use, and emissions.


These goals may be informed by state climate plans or other statewide policy making. The current national goal is to reduce emissions by 50% (against a 2005 baseline) by 2030. In some cases, goals may be informed by direct advocacy by students and parents. Once targets are set, these goals should be integrated into all project specifications and regular data collection and assess- ment regimens.


Benefit from low-hanging fruit. The opportunities to improve school environments, save on operational costs, and reduce schools’ impact on the environment include no-cost or low-cost strategies, such as creating a culture of conservation within the school community that encourages behavior change, adjusting control set points, and retrocommissioning equipment to ensure its healthy and efficient operation.


Some low-cost energy conservation measures have quick payback; for instance, replacing old appliances with ENERGY STAR–rated appliances and switch- ing old light fixtures to LED lighting will likely pay for themselves within 24 months through utility bill savings.


Take advantage of systems replacement. When major mechanical systems need replacing (e.g., heat- ing, ventilation, and air-conditioning [HVAC]), an inte- grated design approach (bringing all building industry disciplines and stakeholders together) combined with a commitment to health, energy, and emission goals will highlight new opportunities.


One opportunity could be to pair enhancements to the building envelope (e.g., additional insulation or replacement of windows and doors) with new


24 JULY/AUGUST 2021 | SCHOOL BUSINESS AFFAIRS


high-performance systems. These integrated approaches can save on “first costs” (e.g., by taking advantage of construction mobilization and time to tackle multiple projects or by downsizing HVAC equipment), as well as lifetime costs.


Plan for resilience. In addition to improving health and reducing energy use and emissions, districts should also consider how facility investments can be leveraged to reduce future costs associated with disaster recovery while enhancing the district’s ability to serve its commu- nities during extreme weather.


Investments in resilience—so-called pre-disaster miti- gation spending—are a prudent use of taxpayer funds. Examples include doing site work to reduce potential flooding and moving electrical and mechanical equip- ment to reduce the possibility of damage from weather events, along with investing in renewable energy and energy-storage systems.


Establishing a culture of collecting and sharing this information is core to improving buildings, both for operational costs and for student and teacher health.


Pursue renewable energy. On the clean energy front, more than 7,300 schools have installed solar systems—either through rooftop, ground-mounted, or parking canopies—to generate substantial energy savings (Generation180 2020). The majority of schools have lev- eraged third-party financing, which typically requires no upfront costs.


In some contexts, combining solar-energy genera- tion with energy storage has been even more financially attractive and beneficial to the district’s planning for climate-related risks. Energy-storage technology offers


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