69´«Ã½

School & District Management Download

How to Get the Feds to Pay After You Make Your School Buildings Greener

By Mark Lieberman & Francis Sheehan — October 13, 2023 1 min read
Green ideas environment
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Thousands of school buildings across the country need billions of dollars’ worth of major repairs, renovations, and additions. The federal government can help with a big chunk of the cost—if districts have sustainability in mind.

Congress last year passed a massive spending package that included a new program that creates incentives for school districts to make their buildings more energy-efficient with projects centered around solar and geothermal systems.

Unlike a traditional grant program, there’s no limit to how many incentives schools nationwide can get, and there’s also no limit to how big each incentive can be.

See Also

Photo of excavator by new high school.
iStock / Getty Images Plus

Districts just need to finance the upfront costs of the project, complete the work, and then fill out some Internal Revenue Service forms to get their cash rebates.

Every district will be eligible for a rebate worth 30 percent of the project cost. Some districts will be eligible for the federal government to cover up to 60 percent of the total cost of their green building project, if they meet certain eligibility criteria.

This program could be lucrative for school districts that choose to take advantage of it. Here’s how it works.

    A version of this article appeared in the November 01, 2023 edition of Education Week as How to Get the Feds to Pay After You Make Your School Buildings Greener

    Events

    This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
    Sponsor
    Artificial Intelligence Webinar
    AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
    Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
    Content provided by 
    This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
    Sponsor
    School Climate & Safety Webinar
    Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
    Content provided by 
    Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
    Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

    EdWeek Top School Jobs

    Teacher Jobs
    Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
    Principal Jobs
    Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
    Administrator Jobs
    Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
    Support Staff Jobs
    Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

    Read Next

    School & District Management Spooked by Halloween, Some 69´«Ã½ Ban Costumes—But Not Without Pushback
    69´«Ã½ are tweaking Halloween traditions to make them more inclusive to all students.
    4 min read
    A group of elementary school kids sitting on a curb dressed in their Halloween costumes.
    iStock/Getty
    School & District Management 69´«Ã½ Take a $3 Billion Hit From the Culture Wars. Here’s How It Breaks Down
    Culturally divisive conflicts in schools have led to increased legal and security costs, as well as staff time spent on the fallout.
    4 min read
    Illustration of a businessman with his hands on his head while he watches dollars being sucked down into a dark hole.
    DigitalVision Vectors
    School & District Management Opinion The Blind Spot More Educators Need to Recognize
    A simple activity in a training session caused a chain reaction that strengthened an educator's leadership for decades to come.
    5 min read
    Screen Shot 2024 10 29 at 9.19.10 AM
    Canva
    School & District Management Opinion 9 Ways 69´«Ã½ Can Improve Life for Teachers and 69´«Ã½
    Educators suggest low-cost strategies to improve the education experience for teachers and learners alike.
    8 min read
    Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
    Sonia Pulido for Education Week