ARRA School Facility Expenditures Disappoint, But All is Not Lost; DOE to Release "Retrofit Ramp-Up" Funding

Washington, Sept. 25 — Despite limited direct funding for public school modernization in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), K-12 and secondary institutions still have a few facility funding prospects on the horizon.

Marni Allen, senior research and policy associate at the 21st Century School Fund, said that a big pot of ARRA money for building energy efficiency — $454 million — will soon become available from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The competitive portion of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) program, "Retrofit Ramp-Up," will support community-scale energy upgrades for residential, commercial and public buildings, including schools.