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June 30 (UPI) -- The Biden administration announced it has awarded some $178 million to two dozen school districts in 22 states to fund projects aimed at lowering energy costs and emissions and creating healthier and safer learning environments. The U.S. Department of Energy announced the grantees on Thursday, stating the money is going to support 74,000 students and 5,000 teachers in 97 school nationwide.
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"The future of America goes through the schoolhouse door. There's nothing more critical than investing in the health and education of our nation's kids," Mitch Landrieu, the White House infrastructure coordinator and senior advisor to President Joe Biden, said in a statement.
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, an estimated 54% of public school districts need to update or replace multiple building systems or features.
The 2020 GAO report to Congress states that 41% of districts need to either replace or update heating, ventilation and air conditioning in half their schools, representing about 36,000 schools nationwide. Another nearly 30% of districts need to replace or update interior light fixtures, roofing and safety and security in half their schools, it said.
The funds are coming from the New America's Schools grant program, which funds infrastructure upgrades at K-12 public school facilities.
Applications were accepted from November until end of April, with districts awarded funding Thursday representing the first round of grantees.
According department officials, demand for founding was unprecedented with districts from 48 states and two territories submitting more than 1,000 project proposals worth a combined $5.5 billion.
Of the 24 school districts announced Thursday, 88% of them planned to use the funds to upgrade their HVAC systems and 71% for lighting, it said.
The Renew America's Schools grant program is under the $500 million Renew America's Schools program, which is funded by the Biden administration's bipartisan infrastructure bill of 2021.
