William Penn School District set to receive funding from infrastructure law
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) and U.S. Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5) announced that the William Penn School District in Yeadon is receiving $7,205,005 from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for a high-efficiency upgrade of the Penn Wood High School - Cypress Street Campus. This funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will help the school district create a healthy, safe learning environment and lower energy costs.
“Thanks to the infrastructure law, the William Penn School District can make much-needed upgrades to aging school facilities that students, faculty, and staff will benefit from for years to come,” Senator Casey said. “This $7.2 million grant is an investment in our students’ health and our clean energy future in Delaware County.”
“The Renew America’s Schools grant program is a win for our students, our teachers, and our planet,” Senator Fetterman said. “It will help fund projects to lower energy costs, lower emissions, and create healthier, safer, and more supportive learning environments in their schools, as well as provide hands-on student education about energy, technology, and the environment for William Penn School District students.”
“To put Pennsylvania’s children and economy on the road to health and prosperity, I will always fight for policies that center families and invest in the bright futures of our young people,” Rep. Scanlon said. “I’m thrilled to announce that thanks to one of those policies – the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – the William Penn School District is being awarded a competitive $7.2 million grant to bring much-needed infrastructure improvement projects to fruition and create safer and healthier learning environments. From improved indoor air quality and thermal comfort to better lighting and reduced energy expenditures, the upgrades will directly impact the health and well-being of children and families while creating good-paying jobs to bolster our local economy.”
“The William Penn School District is grateful to receive funds that will help us achieve our strategic goals for our facilities. We are grateful to the Biden-Harris administration for providing this opportunity,” William Penn School District said. “Our students, staff and School Board Directors are very appreciative.”
The Cyprus Street Campus is a 1947 building that suffers from deferred maintenance. Thanks to this investment, the District will be able to construct a high efficiency ambient heat pump heating/cooling system, high efficiency LED lighting, a Building Automation System (BAS), and solar PV roofing that will reduce reliance on fossil fuels and prepare this school for complete “net zero” energy generation. Further, the project will help to educate students about energy generation, environmental impacts, engineering principles, and new technologies.
DOE’s Renew America’s Schools Program is a $500 million program, funded by the infrastructure law, to make public schools more energy efficient. The funding will be spread across Fiscal Years 2022-2026 and aims to help school communities make energy upgrades that will lower utilities costs, improve indoor air quality, and foster healthier learning environments.
