Funding the Future: Grants and Green Initiatives for School Facilities

Summary

Summary of "Funding the Future: Grants and Green Initiatives for School Facilities"

School Business Insider Episode released on November 5, 2024, titled "Funding the Future: Grants and Green Initiatives for School Facilities", delves into the critical challenges and emerging opportunities in funding and sustaining school infrastructure. Hosted by John Brucato, the episode features insights from two industry leaders: Anissa Heming, Director of the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and Craig Schiller, Executive Director for the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHIPS). Together, they explore the current state of school facilities, available federal grants, sustainability initiatives, and the advocacy efforts driving improvements in K-12 education environments.

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1. Introduction to Guests and Topics

John Brucato introduces Anissa Heming and Craig Schiller, highlighting their roles and expertise in green building standards and high-performance school facilities. The discussion focuses on:

• The state of school infrastructure funding in the U.S.
• Federal grants supporting school facility improvements.
• Sustainability and green initiatives in school buildings.
• Advocacy for equitable and healthy learning environments.

2. State of School Infrastructure Funding

Anissa Heming provides an overview of the national landscape of school infrastructure funding, referencing the 2021 State of Our Schools report:

"From the 2016 State of Our Schools to the 2021 report, the investment gap has grown from $46 billion to $85 billion a year." [06:40]

This gap underscores the increasing shortfall between current investments and what is necessary to maintain and improve school facilities. Key points include:

• Maintenance and Operations: Insufficient funding leads to deteriorating building conditions.
• Capital Improvements: Lack of investment prevents modernization to meet current educational standards.
• Equity Concerns: Local tax dependencies exacerbate disparities, as districts in less affluent areas struggle to fund necessary improvements.

Craig Schiller adds that some states offer financial incentives or require certifications like LEED for large buildings, emphasizing the importance of using taxpayer dollars efficiently:

"We're using your taxpayer dollar the best, following industry standards, and staying on the leading edge of facilities management." [06:18]

3. Sustainability and Rating Systems: LEED and CHIPS

The conversation shifts to the role of voluntary rating systems such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and CHIPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools):

• LEED: A widely recognized certification focusing on various aspects of building sustainability.
• CHIPS: Tailored specifically for schools, adding criteria relevant to educational environments.

Anissa Heming explains the voluntary nature of these certifications and their adoption by some municipalities and school districts to meet environmental and equity goals:

"Some municipalities require LEED certification for large buildings to meet energy targets, including schools." [04:13]

Craig Schiller highlights that adopting these standards ensures districts are aligning with industry best practices, enhancing building performance and sustainability.

4. White House Summit on Sustainable and Healthy K-12 School Buildings

The episode discusses the significance of the White House Summit held on April 24, focusing on sustainable and healthy school buildings. Craig Schiller recounts the event's emphasis on recognizing the vital work of school district staff:

"The energy of just hey, we're appreciated, we're highlighted, we're seen nationally represented—this was a shift." [18:39]

Anissa Heming adds that the summit marked a pivotal moment in federal recognition of the importance of school facilities, particularly accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent American Rescue Plan funding.

5. Federal Grants and Funding Opportunities

A substantial portion of the discussion centers on various federal grants available to school districts:

a. EPA's Community Change Grant

Anissa Heming describes the Community Change Grant, a $2 billion fund offering grants between $10 to $20 million for projects addressing indoor air pollution and climate action:

"This grant requires addressing both air pollution and climate action, making it a perfect fit for building improvements that impact air quality." [30:54]

Key criteria for eligibility include:

• Location in a disadvantaged area.
• Partnership with a community-based organization.
• Projects that simultaneously address air quality and climate action.

b. Department of Energy Grants

Anissa mentions additional funding opportunities from the Department of Energy, such as grants for rural and remote energy projects:

"The Renew America Schools grant is another school-focused program, supporting energy-related projects." [36:13]

These grants are designed to support energy efficiency and sustainability projects within school facilities, with applications typically rolling out in the spring.

c. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Clean Energy Tax Credits

Craig Schiller and Anissa Heming discuss the IRA Clean Energy Tax Credits, which are non-competitive and provide financial rebates for investments in specific technologies like ground source heat pumps and solar systems:

"These are non-competitive tax credits, offering direct payments for investing in clean energy technologies." [39:26]

They emphasize the stability and longevity of these credits, suggesting they are likely to remain due to broad industry support and the potential for legal challenges if removed.

d. EPA's Clean School Bus Rebate Program

The Clean School Bus Rebate Program offers substantial funding ($5 billion over five years) for purchasing clean buses:

"Philadelphia is utilizing this program to acquire 25 new buses, showcasing its practical benefits." [46:03]

Anissa notes that while the program has faced initial challenges, its expansion and adaptability make it a valuable resource for districts aiming to modernize their transportation fleets.

6. Challenges in Grant Applications

Despite the availability of grants, Anissa and Craig identify significant barriers that school districts face when applying:

• Complexity of Applications: Grants like the Community Change Grant have extensive requirements and tight deadlines.
• Resource Limitations: Smaller districts may lack dedicated grant writers or staff to manage applications.
• Awareness and Eligibility: Understanding which grants align with specific projects and eligibility criteria can be daunting.

Craig Schiller emphasizes the importance of having a grant writer and forming partnerships with community-based organizations to navigate the application process effectively:

"You need a grant writer with capacity for the next few weeks and an existing relationship with a community-based organization." [35:38]

7. Success Stories and Encouraging Outcomes

While specific examples of Community Change Grant recipients are limited, Anissa shares a success story from Dillard University in New Orleans, showcasing how grants can fund both facility improvements and broader community initiatives:

"They are not only upgrading their HVAC systems but also developing mobility hubs and resilience centers to support the community." [55:17]

Craig Schiller highlights the inspiration drawn from passionate individuals—such as superintendents and principals—who champion grant applications, underscoring the potential for transformative projects when driven by committed leaders.

8. Advocacy and the Basic Coalition

The Basic Coalition plays a pivotal role in advocating for increased federal investment in school infrastructure. Anissa Heming, serving as the current chair, outlines the coalition's efforts:

"We have been pushing for the Rebuild America Schools Act to ensure equitable school facilities across the country." [56:57]

The coalition collaborates with organizations like USGBC and CHIPS to influence federal policy, support state-level capacity building, and provide resources through initiatives like the National Center on School Infrastructure (NCSI).

9. Future Initiatives and Looking Ahead to 2025

Looking forward, both organizations have ambitious plans:

• Center for Green Schools: Anissa shares plans to expand their work with grants from the EPA to enhance indoor air quality and reduce carbon emissions across schools:

  "We'll bring our support to smaller districts with regional coordinators for peer-to-peer learning." [59:38]

• CHIPS: Craig discusses the development of the Minor Innovations Program, which will distill best practices for common school projects like flooring and HVAC upgrades based on LEED and CHIPS standards:

  "We're aligning LEED credits with high-performance school projects to streamline adoption for districts." [62:57]

Both Anissa and Craig emphasize the lasting impact of recent federal investments and the importance of continued advocacy to sustain and expand these initiatives.

10. Conclusion

John Brucato wraps up the episode by acknowledging the vast array of funding opportunities and the diligent work required to secure them. Anissa Heming and Craig Schiller offer encouragement, highlighting that while the grant application process is challenging, the potential benefits for school districts make the effort worthwhile. They stress the importance of perseverance, partnerships, and advocacy in advancing the sustainability and functionality of school facilities.

"When you do the work, even if you don't get a grant, the process itself is beneficial for future applications." [56:16]

The episode concludes with a call to action for school business professionals to leverage available resources, stay informed through organizations like the Basic Coalition, and continue striving for healthier, more sustainable educational environments.

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Notable Quotes:

• Anissa Heming [06:40]: "From the 2016 State of Our Schools to the 2021 report, the investment gap has grown from $46 billion to $85 billion a year."
• Craig Schiller [06:18]: "We're using your taxpayer dollar the best, following industry standards, and staying on the leading edge of facilities management."
• John Brucato [35:54]: "You need a grant writer, you need to be in a disadvantaged community zone, you need an existing relationship with a community-based organization who also has capacity over the next few weeks to help you with the application."
• Craig Schiller [39:26]: "These are non-competitive tax credits, offering direct payments for investing in clean energy technologies."
• Anissa Heming [55:17]: "They are not only upgrading their HVAC systems but also developing mobility hubs and resilience centers to support the community."

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This detailed summary encapsulates the critical discussions and insights from the episode, providing listeners and professionals with a comprehensive understanding of the funding landscape for school facilities, the role of sustainability initiatives, and the pathways to securing essential grants and support.

Transcript

[John Brucato]

Hey there insiders. If you're loving these episodes, don't keep them to yourself. Like, subscribe and rate the show. Think of it as your good deed for the day. No spreadsheets or budget meetings required. Every rating helps us share the secrets of school business magic with the world, or at least school business leaders. So hit that subscribe button and leave us a review. It's like extra credit, but way easier. Thanks for helping us spread the word and support smarter schools everywhere. You're listening to ASPO International's School Business Insider. I'm your host, John Brucato. Each week on School Business Insider, I sit down with school business officials and industry experts from around the world to share their stories and explore the topics that matter most to you. Find out what it means to be a school business official and get your insider pass on all things school business. Hello everyone, and welcome back to School Business Insider. Today we're diving into one of the most pressing challenges and exciting opportunities in K12 education the funding and sustainability of our school facilities. Joining us are two leading voices in the field, Anissa Heming, Director of the center of Green Schools at the US Green Building Council, and Craig Schiller, Executive Director for the Collaborative for High Performance Schools. In this episode, we'll discuss the current state of school infrastructure, the federal grants available to help districts make vital improvements, and how advocacy efforts are pushing for more sustainable, healthy and high performing school environments. Anis and Craig will share insights from their work, including highlights from the recent White House Summit on sustainable and healthy K12 schools, updates on funding opportunities like the EPA's Community Change Grant and the Clean School bus rebates, and advice for district leaders seeking grants for facility projects. Craig and Anissa, welcome to the podcast. I'm happy to have you.

[Craig Schiller]

Thank you.

[Anissa Heming]

Thanks for having us.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah, Good to be here.

[John Brucato]

Yeah. Excited to bring you on and talk all things school facilities. Before we get into too much of that, maybe you can each take an opportunity to introduce yourself to our audience. For those who may not know you, Anissa, maybe we can start with you.

[Anissa Heming]

Okay, sure. Well, as you said, I run the center for Green Schools. We're at the US Green Building Council, which is a nonprofit that's best known for the LEED rating system for buildings. But the center for Green Schools focuses on supporting and training the people who do sustainability work at the school system level. So that would be in some cases, the facilities director at a school district, in other cases, energy managers, indoor air quality managers, sustainability directors, that sort of thing. I come to the work with A background in architecture, so that's my background. But I've been doing K through 12 sustainability work now for 16 years or so. So very, very familiar and passionate about the work to green our K through 12 schools.

[John Brucato]

Great. Welcome.

[Craig Schiller]

And Craig, yeah, as you said, Craig Schiller, I'm the executive director for the Collaborative for High Performance Schools. We very similar to LEED at usgbc, are a rating system specifically for schools. So Anise and I have a lot in common with the mission that we have. Our role is really to build on the big industry standards like LEED and add specific criteria, specific performance specs for schools. So to go one level more towards schools than that great program that is applicable to a lot of building types. My background is in sustainable design and environmental studies and I spent most of the last decade at a climate think and do tank. So really developing new programs on how you can change a sector and been excited to bring that thought process and learn all about the K12 industry and how we can help change it.

[John Brucato]

Great. Well, happy to have you both on and for the ranking and rating system, I mean, for those who may not be too familiar, is that a voluntary thing that school districts can engage in and what are kind of the benefits and maybe pursuing something like that?

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah, both. Both of these systems, CHIPS and LEED are generally voluntary. There are some municipalities that have elected to require, I'm familiar with leed, obviously, a LEED certification for buildings over a certain size, for instance. So if there's a municipality I live in DC, Washington D.C. has a, has a law like this. So, you know, buildings over a certain size because the city has energy targets, energy efficiency targets and that sort of thing, they've required buildings over a certain size to be certified. And that includes schools. And there are some school districts that have chosen to require CHIPS or LEED on all schools that they build. So that is generally something they do from for environmental targets or also sometimes for equity targets. Make sure that every building they're building and whatever area of their school district is achieving the same level of quality.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah, Just to add to that, you know, one of the values that the school districts that have adopted CHIPS have seen and it is voluntary, but oftentimes we get a school board resolution that requires CHIPS or lead or as Anissa said, municipalities or states, Virginia just for example, passed a requirement for buildings above a certain size have to meet bleed or green globes. Other states provide a financial incentive. They help subsidize some of the cost if you meet a performance standard. So the idea Is there's the normal building you can build. If you follow one of these standards, you get a better building. And the value proposition that the school districts have seen and advocate at advocate for their communities is we're using your taxpayer dollar the best, right? These are industry developed collaborative standards. These are non competitive. This is just the new bar above a building code. And so by adopting and requiring that, they're saying, you know, we're using your money best, we're following the industry standards, we're in the leading edge of the facilities arena.

[John Brucato]

So let's get an overview of really the national state of school infrastructure. Maybe Anisi, we can start with you and just get that big picture idea. Can you give us an overview of the of school infrastructure funding in the United States and some of its key shortfalls? I know there was a 2021 state of our Schools report. I don't know, maybe you could draw from that or just really give our audience an idea of what schools are up against.

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's interesting. The data that we have about school facilities is pretty thin. And what we do have is generally on the investment side. So we know how much money has been invested in school and that's kind of our proxy for understanding the state of schools. So you're right, there was a 2021 state of our Schools report. There's actually going to be another one out this winter. So we should have some new financial data about investment in school facilities soon. So from the 2016 State of Our Schools to the 2021 State of Our schools, the gap that in what we are investing in schools versus what we should be investing in schools has grown. And generally our understanding of that is that we are getting further and further behind in the investments we're putting in our school facilities. So in 2016, the gap between what we were spending and what we should have been spending was 46 billion. And that's grown and is now 85 billion a year. So if you adjust the 46 billion for inflation, that's about a $25 billion growth in the gap. So there's a lot of numbers there, but $85 billion a year, each year we are sort of behind in investing in facilities, and that's both on the maintenance and operations side and on the capital improvement improvement side. So we know that we're sort of not meeting industry standards when it comes to keeping these buildings maintained and to modern educational expectations. We also know that the Government accountability office in 2020 did a sort of survey study of school facility conditions and they found that 41% of districts required H VAC system upgrades or replacements in at least half of their schools. So, you know, we've got some, some observational data, in addition to this financial data about the fact that we're sort of getting behind in investing in schools. And this is, it's frustrating for those that work in schools because for many reasons. But one of those reasons is, you know, it's not for lack of effort in most cases on the part of local communities. Like local school leaders are trying really hard with the money that they have. But the way that our school facilities are funded is through local tax dollars. And so much of the, much of the gap is because there are many local communities that have no tax base to pull from when it comes to, you know, improving their school facility conditions. So, you know, there, there is a definite role for states and the federal government to step in and help with equity when it comes to improving school buildings.

[John Brucato]

So can you tell me a little bit more about that $85 billion number? Is that just purely money being invested in schools measured against an industry standard benchmark? Where is that number coming from? Because that's pretty substantial.

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah, yeah, I can get into that. Yeah. Let's get into the nerdy stuff.

[John Brucato]

How much time we have.

[Anissa Heming]

Right, yeah. So it's based on the current replacement value of buildings. So the report authors estimated the amount of square footage of school buildings that we have in the country and then looked state by state at what it would take to replace that kind of square footage. So construction costs are different in various places. So the report does take that into account. It comes up with kind of like, what is the total current replacement value of all the square footage in the whole country for schools? And then an industry standard is to take a small percentage of that and based on the depreciation of the assets. So if you say like the school building has a 50 year lifespan, then you should be investing about 2% a year in maintenance and operations. And then the sort of addition to that is a 2% for like capital improvements. So there's a 4% sort of factor put on that each year that you should be investing to kind of work with that building that has that 50 year lifespan. And so that's the investment that should be happening in our schools. And so that's the should be number. And then we looked at sort of what local governments have actually reported that they have invested in their buildings, no matter the source of that money. So local money, state money, in like the case of fema, sometimes Federal money. And so whatever money went into schools. And then we just looked at the differential between those. So the differential between what we should be investing in schools, that percentage of current replacement value versus what we found was reported as being invested.

[John Brucato]

And how granular does this report get? I mean, for instance, if I, as a school business official, want to know how my district is performing against maybe a national average or a more regionalized average, is there a mechanism to kind of compare that, or is it really just kind of looking at the nation as a whole and where do we fit in against that benchmark?

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah, that's. So in 2016, we did have some district by district data, like a lookup tool for districts. In the 2021 report, they go state by state. So in the appendices of that, of the 2021 state of our Schools report, you can find all the assumptions that were made based on the state. So that's, you know, what is the cost per square foot for construction that they assumed and that kind of thing. And so you could definitely figure out kind of where you stand as a school district. I know that for the 2024, slash, 25, depending on when they get it out with the report coming up, I know that they are planning a school district like a lookup tool. So that's going to be a really useful thing for districts to be able to sort of benchmark themselves in their investments. And so that on the upcoming report, that'll be an online tool.

[Craig Schiller]

Well, I think there's also a qualitative part to that, too, is, you know, you can look up the financial ranking of where you are, but we're talking about school facilities. And so the other way to look at this is tour your facilities. You know, Anissa said that half the school districts in the country need H Vac replacements or modernizations. So where does your school district fall in? That is your equipment updated, you know, is how many classrooms still look in the traditional way, how many have cluttering on the walls, stuff on the windows, Right. When was it modernized and painted? All of the small details we know from all the research that those things matter. Right. Just going back to the H Vac, thermal comfort, oxygen levels, air quality, these all have a quantifiable effect on students. So you can, you can base it down to the numbers. You can also look at your facilities with a new eye. You know, I think it's hard for a lot of folks to think about the buildings and their age. Right. We don't.

[Anissa Heming]

That's.

[Craig Schiller]

That's harder if you Think about it from a car perspective. If you're buying an old car, you need to know its maintenance history. Right. These are things you should do and we take for granted when it's a vehicle, but not when it's a building, particularly a legacy building like a school that we've had for generations. But it is equally important.

[John Brucato]

So how do you capture that anecdotal and qualitative feedback and put it into a meaningful report where people can say, well, this isn't just administration and teachers complaining that it gets too hot in the summer and it's not warm enough in the winter. How do you actually assemble that data to where it's something useful that school districts can use to move forward?

[Craig Schiller]

That's a great question. You know, there's a handful of organizations, Perkins Will is an architecture firm that has started doing this is to try to standardize a walkthrough checklist.

[John Brucato]

Great, right.

[Craig Schiller]

Similar to the EPA tools for schools. Right. You can walk through with all the questions. Yes, no, you know, five, 10, whatever the question asked, you can start to do that in a quantifiable way. And then there are some state level initiatives that. Anissa, do you want to talk about Massachusetts?

[Anissa Heming]

Well, I was actually, I was going to go in a bit of a different direction because it does relate to Massachusetts. But the many of the states are trying to standardize facility condition indices so that, so that there is some sense across a state at least like what the condition of facilities is. So it's not just based on money, like. Sure, you know, like Craig was just saying, so. And they're building those indices off of the private like companies that are hired to do facility condition index reports for, for school districts. So many, especially larger school districts would, you know, hire a private firm, an engineering firm often to go in and look at their building systems and assess the condition and give like a number sort of rating of how the facilities is operating and what needs to be, you know, how can it be ranked against the other facilities in the district to. To understand where investment is needed and how to prioritize investments?

[John Brucato]

And Anisa, you said there's a 24, maybe 25 state of our Schools report coming out. Is that going to be a reiteration of the 2021 report? I mean, you did mention that there is going to be some more state specific data, but what can individuals anticipate with this new report coming out?

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah, it'll be similar to the 2021 report in terms of giving that sort of overall picture of the school facility investment It'll have this district specific data and it'll also have state profiles. So trying to break the data up into different scales of sort of like groupings of the data. And then it's also it'll have a increased so the 2021 report had some really great equity data in it, sort of like where is the investment happening? What do we know about like which communities are most in need of investment? And the 2024 or 5 report will like lean into that as well. So it'll have more robust information about where the investment is happening versus where it's needed and hopefully give some sort of decision making direction for leaders on where that money is needed.

[John Brucato]

Great. And if somebody wants to get ready for that 2425 report, wants to brush up on the 2021, where can someone access that to take it?

[Anissa Heming]

The 2021 report is linked from the Basic Coalition's website, basic- Coalition.org which is a national advocacy coalition for federal investment in schools. And then it's also linked from the IWBI website, which is the International well Building Institute, which is one of the major funders of the report.

[John Brucato]

Great. I'll make sure to link that in the show notes too so anyone listening can click that and get right to it. So let's talk White House Summit on sustainable and healthy K12 school buildings. This past April 24, there was the summit. What was the focus of this event and why is it significant for school leaders tuning in today?

[Craig Schiller]

Well, I'll take the soft, the softer side of that and the niece can dive into the content. I think one of the milestones for this event was to highlight and elevate the importance of school district staff and the great work that they're doing. And so I remember when we did our breakout sessions, I was facilitating a room and the first question I asked of the group was by a show of hands, who had this as a career top moment? Like was this a career highlight for everyone? And everyone raised their hand And I think that energy of just hey, we're appreciated, we're highlighted, we're seen nationally represented, nationally invited to the White House, to me really accentuated this shift in that school buildings matter, school facilities matter, what school districts, folks are doing to improve the lives of their students matter. And we're at the White House to mark that moment.

[John Brucato]

And do you feel that historically school facilities have very much been an afterthought? Is this just kind of a newer revelation where federal government, local agencies are really starting to prioritize the condition of our school Facilities?

[Craig Schiller]

Oh, that's a great question. And I'm sure over drinks we could have a lot of debates with anyone who came in and sat down would give it an answer. I think in general, facilities at large are an afterthought. We, we have by and large ignored the built environment. You know, the numbers that NISA gave kind of quantifiably highlight that we have not prioritized the buildings. That, that said, there are some exceptional examples of what people have done, of schools we've designed, of modernization projects that district leaders have done, that, initiatives that district staff have done that were highlighted at this event. So by and large, yes, we don't. We don't account. We don't care for the buildings as much as they affect our lives, period. It is gaining more attention.

[Anissa Heming]

I would add to that that there's this odd. There's this odd quality of school facilities in that because they're so. They're locally managed and they're distributed throughout communities. Their combined impact on the humans in them and the number of people that go to these buildings every day is huge. But also their square footage, their carbon impact, their impact on the local workforce, everything is distributed. And so they're often not seen by national leaders as a large impact on our overall infrastructure picture. Even though they are. It's just because of that distributed management, they're not seen that way. And so we've seen this in federal advocacy where school facilities are sometimes overlooked in large infrastructure bills and that sort of thing because they're just sort of not viewed in totality when it comes to policymaking. So it's one of the things that was very exciting about that White House summit is to have the White House and the climate office of the White House and everybody sort of saying that they were seeing schools and seeing the impact that schools could have on the community and the nation was a very exciting moment to mark.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah. And so, Jen, let me just add to that. I think just again, because facilities have been really challenging and hard for all the audience out there. Thank your facility managers once in a while.

[John Brucato]

Absolutely.

[Craig Schiller]

They have a really hard job and they are unsung heroes. And so it's, you know, they get called out when things don't go right, but the day to day when things do go right, we just assume it's supposed to act that way. But there are people that make that happen and we need to thank them more regularly.

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah.

[John Brucato]

You want to see someone scramble, just follow around a facilities director. Right. They're everywhere. In ceilings, in crawl spaces. So why why the sudden change of heart? Why now in 2024, is the white House interested in school facilities? I mean, schools have been around since the dawn of time. So why. Why did it take so long to get here?

[Anissa Heming]

I think there are a couple of ways to answer that question. One of them is to say that the. They have a lot to talk about that the administration has, has seen happen within the last four years, whether that was driven by Congress or advocates or the White House themselves. But there was sort of this coalescing of programs and investments and things that I think the White House was excited to talk about. I think the recognition that school facilities are important was especially acute during the COVID pandemic. And the American Rescue Plan funding that came to schools through Esser 3 was so significant and was so necessary for many of the school buildings and the school facilities around the country. I think that was sort of the initial awakening, maybe we would call it. And then there are several grant programs that we could talk about that are now accessible to schools that I think they were also excited to highlight through having this summit. So I think there was some notion that they wanted to support further action, but also they wanted to be able to celebrate, I think, what was happening.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah, I agree with what Anissa said. And I also want to add, I think for the last 20, 30 years, maybe the research around building science has really kept growing. Year by year, it's really taken off. And now we have master's degrees, PhD programs around building science. There's universities that hold departments around building science. There's a number of industry associations around the facilities. Right. It has exploded in the last 20, 30 years. And that research combined with COVID really highlighted the impact that these facilities have on our health day to day. And I just want to highlight one of the values going back to lead and Chips. One of the values of a third party rating system is providing recommendations before they're required. So during COVID the CDC came out with a recommendation for five air changes per hour in a school just to circulate air five times an hour. Both lead and CHIPS had that in our criteria for the last five years. And so understanding the effect that the buildings have has become more nationally known in the last 30 years, accentuated, as Anissa said, by the last four during.

[John Brucato]

COVID Well, I hope this momentum continues and it doesn't take another worldwide pandemic to take school facilities seriously because the capabilities and lack thereof were really tested during the pandemic.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah, I think another part to that, John, too, is facilities in General, particularly since the climate era, the climate change era, we start looking at building sectors as their own sectors and how we can influence those sectors from an energy use perspective, primarily. But that is highlighted. I mean, K12 is, I think, the second largest consumer of electricity in the country from building sector number one in natural gas. So huge numbers from all those distributed schools nationwide. And so there's a lot of attention from the climate era, government programs, nonprofits, et cetera, saying, hey, what can we do with K12?

[John Brucato]

Right. And really pushing moves towards more sustainable energy sources.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah.

[John Brucato]

So through the White House summit and that, we were just talking about, what was really the role of organizations like as both chips, USGBC at this event, and what were the outcomes you were really hoping to see?

[Anissa Heming]

Well, there were. There were a few panel discussions, so moderated by organizations that are leading in this area and mostly focused on highlighting the action of schools and school districts. So there were a lot of school districts featured, sort of looking at what they had done with their school facilities. And then the latter half of the summit was discussion groups oriented around sort of what the federal agencies could do to support school facilities even further. And so many of us led those discussion groups to gather that feedback and input for the White House and for the various agencies that were in attendance.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah, and kudos to the team that organized and ran the White House summit. I mean, they were gracious enough to invite folks like ANISA and myself and ASBO to the table for those facilitation discussions. They wanted to hear from different perspectives on the ground with how we could best harness the power of all those folks in the room. And so I thought it worked really well, highlighting nationally some great examples. And then we broke out into some sessions to really get more in detail on what else the government could do.

[John Brucato]

So walking away from it, do you think that message was received? And what can we anticipate moving forward? Or maybe that's not a fair question. Maybe we need to wait two weeks to see what happens. But what. What do you anticipate kind of coming down the road?

[Anissa Heming]

Yes, we need to wait to see. Yeah, I do think that there is. I have seen more recognition among the White House folks, in particular of the role of school facilities and the role of school schools too, just like the educational program, even on the climate goals that the Biden administration has. So that has come through a little bit more. The climate office staff have been a little more responsive when it comes to school facilities things and really sort of thinking about schools as part of the climate and Buildings in particular, picture that they're, that they're trying to work on. But, you know, I. I think. I don't know, being. Being here in Washington, D.C. like, everyone I know that works in federal agencies right now is just trying very hard to get what's on their plate right now buttoned up so that, you know, whatever comes next, they sort of are prepared. So it's. Everybody's kind of in this strange waiting game right now. Yeah, yeah.

[Craig Schiller]

D.C. is a funny place. A lot of the, you know, it's hard to see some of the impact. It's a lot in conversations, but having some of the, you know, the federal folks, higher ups, the Department of Energy, Education, attend that event, just having schools in the conversation for them moving forward is impactful.

[John Brucato]

And is that where you focus a lot of your energy and lean into those organizations? Because maybe they're not as affected by the political winds every four years.

[Anissa Heming]

Are you talking about the agencies? Yeah, they are pretty affected by the political wins, but the people, to Craig's point, the people who run those agencies, departments, you know, divisions within those agencies, like, generally, if they're working in the agency, like, at some point they will be coming back or they will, sure, they will move to a different position or they will. You know, there's like a lot of people who sort of get the experience working at high levels in government and then just kind of stay in that realm. And so whatever we can do to be educating those folks on the importance of school facilities has a benefit down the line.

[Craig Schiller]

Great.

[John Brucato]

So let's talk grant assistance for school districts. Both of your organizations have really been helping districts apply for federal funding through the EPA's Community Change Grant program. Can you tell our listeners a little bit more about that program, what the grant is and how it can benefit school districts?

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah. So we got. We saw this grant come through last November and realized that it was an incredible opportunity for schools. It's $2 billion in as a. As a total sort of pot of money. And the grants are between 10 and 20 million each. Wow. And they are for projects that address indoor. Well, not indoor necessarily, air pollution and climate action. And each project proposed has to address both of those facets, and schools are eligible. So we thought, well, let's go get that money for schools. So we got a bit of private funding to help us create a toolkit. We gathered partners together like CHIPS and ASBO to work on that toolkit, make sure that school districts knew about it, gather school districts together for some training, and then actually offer grant writing. Coaching to school districts for this grant. This particular Grant is due November 21, so it's, it's very late in the game, but we are really hoping to do this again because there's a lot of money out there still for school districts. There was just another one that came by through. Came across my desk that is from the Department of Energy. It's for rural and remote energy projects, which includes building upgrades and schools are eligible. And it's 2 million to $50 million grant grant amounts. And it's a. It's another big pool of funding. So I just think there's, there's a lot of opportunities like this Community Change Grant opportunity that, you know, the nonprofits in this space and the associations in this space should be trying to help schools access because this is how we're right now. This, this, these are the avenues for getting federal funding into schools.

[Craig Schiller]

Oh, just wonderful. Like this for NISA to start this project was wonderful. And I absolutely agree. I think this is a tremendous opportunity for philanthropy and in communities of, you know, there's a lot of money out there. We'll talk about some of the challenges of getting it. Having a third party just dedicated to navigate that process has been really rewarding and really helpful. And we've gotten feedback that is what's needed, particularly for the districts who don't have that extra help.

[John Brucato]

Yeah, the grant process can be very daunting, especially if you're a small school district and don't have the staff to. Or the experience to do that. You know, this episode will be coming out out November 5th, so it's a pretty tight window. Are there any specific criteria that districts should be keeping in mind when applying to help kind of expedite this grant process?

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah, the Community Change Grants application is quite complex. So if you were going to start on an application and try to ram it in in time, you would want to make sure that you have a project that is a very good fit for this money. And so I would say, first of all, the school has to be in a disadvantaged area. The school impacted by the money received has to be in a disadvantaged area as defined by the grant. And there's a mapping tool that we show you how to use for determining whether the school is in that area. So that's step number one. And then the project has to be something that addresses, as I said, air pollution and climate action together. And one of the ways to do that is through a building improvement that impacts air quality. So if there's something like that that you need in your district. This could be a good fit. And the third thing to make sure to look at is that you as a school district are required to apply with a community based organization, which generally is a nonprofit in your area. So some people are using their education foundations, other people are working with, you know, locals or like community service type organizations. There's a big variety of nonprofits you could use as your partner, but they have to be written in the grant as a statutory partner. So those are the three things to, to check on. And then once you've checked on that, it's a pretty hefty application. So get moving, get moving.

[John Brucato]

You got a couple weeks.

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah.

[Craig Schiller]

Anissa, can I just for the simplicity of this coming out on November 5th, can I add one that I think we may recommend that's at this late in the game? You need a grant writer. Yeah, right. You need it. You need a grant writer with capacity for the next few weeks.

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah.

[Craig Schiller]

So you need a grant writer. You need to be in a disadvantaged community zone. You need an existing relationship with the community based organization who also has capacity over the next few weeks to help you with the application. And you need a project that you've been eyeing and ready that meets the criteria.

[Anissa Heming]

And if this is not the one, like I said, there are many other grant opportunities.

[John Brucato]

So let's talk about that. I mean, the Community Change Grant sounds wonderful, but we are in a tight timeframe. Can you talk to our audience about any other federal funding opportunities available for school infrastructure improvement, proven projects?

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah, I, well, I'll just, I'll just note this Department of Energy 1, because I, I don't know it as well as the Community Change one, but if you are in a remote or rural area and you want to do sort of energy related building improvements, there is grant money out there from the Department of Energy and that one is due in the early spring. So you have a little time to figure out your approach and that sort of thing. So that's another option.

[John Brucato]

Is that the Renew America School grant?

[Anissa Heming]

That is not. This is one that's not on our show notes here. It's.

[Craig Schiller]

Oh, she's going off strip.

[John Brucato]

Got ahead of myself.

[Anissa Heming]

No, no, that one is. We want to talk about that one.

[John Brucato]

I will talk about that next.

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, this is a rural and remote energy projects.

[John Brucato]

Got it.

[Anissa Heming]

Money. So if you just search for that from the Department of Energy, you'll find it. Yeah. The Renew America Schools is also Department of Energy and that is, it's a competitive grant program. There's one more round of Money that's coming out, the application for that will come out next spring. So they just awarded this year's and so the application will come out for the next time in the spring. We are currently advocating for more money for the program so that it can continue, but it is for energy projects at schools in particular. So this is a school focused grant program. Relatively small in terms of like overall pot of money available, but it is, like I said, focused on school. So you know, like you're not competing with other building types within this grant program, it's just for schools. So the demand has been huge for the program. But you know, if you follow the application guidance and you are specifically, you are in a disadvantaged area, your schools that you're going to be impacting are in disadvantaged communities, you have a very good chance of getting this money if you are really, if the project that you are proposing is really in line with what they're looking for. So that that application, like I said, will come out in the, in the spring for that, that funding.

[John Brucato]

It's a little bit more time to prep and get ahead of that one.

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah, yeah. Get, get a sense of what your schools need from, from an energy perspective and that the, the program also has a iaq, indoor air quality kind of component to it. So if the, if you know, you have heating and cooling systems that need to be replaced with ventilation that impacts air quality, that's another sort of boost in your application because that is given extra points or extra weighting if you are impacting air quality.

[John Brucato]

So what about the Inflation Reduction Act? There's clean energy tax credits that school districts can take advantage of. How do the districts utilize these credits to fund energy efficient projects? Because when you think about tax credits, you don't really associate that with school districts. So can you talk us through that a little bit?

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah. Craig, do you want to take that one first?

[Craig Schiller]

Well, I think the biggest thing to note for these, the tax credits is that they're non competitive. So unlike a grant application where there's a chance, sometimes a large chance that you won't get the, you know, you won't receive an award, these are non competitive. So for many big capital projects there is a lens on clean energy. Right. You can do energy efficiency with new modern systems, even climate action resiliency plans at the planning level, renovations can be included. If you, if you do ground source heat pumps, etc. Any big capital project that folks should be aware that they're planning in the next six years, I think it's nice. Is that right till 2030.

[Anissa Heming]

No, it's past 2030.

[Craig Schiller]

Oh, okay, so the next six plus years, then this should be included because you're getting financial return, like a financial rebate from the federal government on those projects in a non competitive manner.

[Anissa Heming]

So the. So yeah, and go ahead. That's exactly right. It's non competitive. The other thing to note is it's for the investment in certain building equipment. So it's, it's ground source heat pumps, it's solar, it's solar storage. It's not about how much energy is saved on the back end. There's no, there's no uncertainty in like are we going to save energy or not or what is like, you'll need to figure that out for yourselves. Just so you have planning on sort of, you know, what the building's going to do. But the money coming from the treasury to schools for this is just because you purchased the equipment and you're putting it into use. And so there's also like that, that uncertainty around operations is not really a factor here. And like Craig said, it's a direct payment from Treasury. And it's, this in particular is for non tax paying entities. So it's specifically for you. It's. You're saying this is a tax credit? I don't pay taxes. Stop talking to me about tax credits. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. This is for non tax paying entities. You get money because you have invested in these specific technologies that are, that are, you know, good for our energy future and that's why you get the money.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah. So John, maybe a couple examples of how this could be thought of or used. You know, Anissa and I both mentioned the ground source heat pumps. That's an expensive system, right? Oftentimes it gets engineered out because it's too expensive. So let's say you're upgrading, you're planning and upgrading your H Vac system or you're adding a wing to a school and you need an additional system. A lot of times that can be engineered out because of the cost. Now it actually has, depending on where you are, it could be even equal cost or cost savings to do that. Definitely long term operating savings. And so I think any, any school district out there, when you are planning these big renovations, whoever you're engineering, your design firm is, ask them about the tax benefits. They need to know, they need to be involved, they need to be incorporating these technologies when they're cost effective with those tax benefits.

[John Brucato]

So this will be the last time I ask you both to put your Prediction hats on. But with something like the inflation Reduction act and maybe school business officials are looking to take advantage of this and build their budget around these monies coming back. Are those in jeopardy? Depending on how things shake out in the election. I mean, what have you been hearing in D.C. in terms of the longevity of a program like this?

[Anissa Heming]

The clean energy investment tax credits that we were just talking about are very likely to stick around because taking them away would rankle industry in a major way. And so, you know, even lawmakers who may maybe didn't vote for it would be pretty hard pressed to actually reverse this tax credit. Cause it is being built, it's being baked into, you know, construction projects that are being planned years out.

[John Brucato]

That's what I mean. I worry about just being. Having the rug pulled out from under you, thinking that you're gonna be able to do all this.

[Anissa Heming]

Exactly. And you know, that's a scary thing, but it's also something that is powerful politically. And schools are obviously not the only ones using this clean energy tax credit. You know, the construction industry, design and construction industry is very. Is very excited about using these and is putting it and putting things into motion. And the sense on Capitol Hill and our federal advocacy is that nobody has the appetite to take that away.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah. It's also a really bad look when you take it away, when you promise something, somebody, and it's going to end in lawsuits.

[John Brucato]

Right, right.

[Craig Schiller]

School districts may not, but the A and D community, you know, who is banking on a project for this amount of money, if they have to out of their own pocket, pay the difference for these new technologies. You know, we're in America that's we sue everybody. There'll be lawsuits left and right to the government. No one wants that.

[John Brucato]

Right. Well, I mean, it's good to hear that for once. Having school districts intermingled with these other agencies and others trying to do this construction work is good because you have a larger swath of individuals at stake. If this funding is pulled away where maybe if it were just school districts, it could be on the chopping block. So trying to pull that kind of funding away from so many different industries, it would be challenging.

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah, yeah.

[Craig Schiller]

And we do have precedents for this. Right. There was an ITC tax credit early on and it still exists. First for renewable energy.

[Anissa Heming]

Right.

[Craig Schiller]

Their electric vehicle tax credits that have survived multiple administrations from different parties. So solar.

[Anissa Heming]

Solar energy.

[Craig Schiller]

So once these kind of. Once they're there, they generally stay because of the foreseen pushback. Just want to give a shout out to our friends undaunted K12 is a nonprofit who really specializes in the IRA tax credit. So I think anyone who's listening, I know you've done tax some of the tax credits in the past on the show. Anyone who's listening and wants to learn more undauntedk12.org Great resource. Everything we just talked about, they have slides that lay out the cost value, the levelized cost of ownership for these different projects, tools, examples, resources, et cetera. So that should be the first starting point for your next move, if you're interested.

[John Brucato]

Yeah, I'll make sure to link their website as well in the show notes. So the other one I want to talk about is the EPA's Clean School Bus rebates program. Can you talk to me about what the program offers and why districts should really consider consider applying before. I believe it's the January 9, 2025 deadline.

[Anissa Heming]

I am less familiar with this program. I know just enough to be dangerous because it's not building focused. So I have our, we, our staff who work with school districts at the center for Schools know a little bit more than I do. But the, the program has offered grant money and has offered rebate money for school buses. This is a very large $5 billion going out over five years for school buses. So this is a really large pot of money that is being pulled on every year for these grants and rebates. They've also been tinkering with it over the last couple of years. The first year they had some hiccups with the rollout of the funding and have, have kind of tried tried to fix some of that. So if you tried, you know, in the first year of this program and you were frustrated by the process or it just like, wasn't really working for you, you might look at it again because they have, like I said, tinkered with the application for this money for school, school buses. Lots of the school districts that we work with who are trying to make progress on sustainability plans and initiatives that their districts are using this money. I'm visiting Philadelphia this week and they're getting 25 buses because of this program. I mean, it's definitely being utilized by districts. So I would encourage people to check it out.

[Craig Schiller]

I don't even know enough to be dangerous. I know enough to be confusing.

[John Brucato]

All right, Craig, we'll skip over. So I mean, all of these programs we talked about theoretically can be hugely beneficial to school districts, but as we kind of mentioned before, can be really challenging to kind of go through. So from your experiences, what are those Key challenges that school districts are really up against when applying for these grant facility projects.

[Anissa Heming]

Well, I'll note that the way, speaking to your listener, the way that you are feeling right now after having just heard about all these opportunities, is the key challenge to getting school districts to apply for this money. Yes, there's so much out there and it's all possible to get, but, you know, you're not sure what's worth the time and you're not quite sure where to put your efforts into, and you don't know which projects at your district apply to which pot of pots of money. I mean, this sort of system of money that's coming out to schools and to other entities is overwhelming. And that is the key challenge here. There are many other challenges too, that we should talk about related to the actual grant applications.

[John Brucato]

But.

[Anissa Heming]

We are really aware of the fact that this is a lot of stuff flying out to school districts over the last couple years.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah, the other, to go into more detail. So with the, with the grant that ANEESA got to do grant work, grants for grants, one of the things we did was, you know, we did three focus groups with school districts, got about 25 participants, and we dove deep into what the challenges are and, you know, we synthesize those and kind of based the support that we're both having with the school districts on those needs. And so the next layer of what NISA said, which is very true, that overwhelming feeling that you're having is, I mean, we feel that also. And it's kind of our job to maintain some knowledge base.

[John Brucato]

You can at least maintain the composure. Right. Like, you know what's coming.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah, on some days. Some days, John. But, you know, so the next layer, the big thing we heard about is like, even when you get a grant, right, there's multiple timelines. I mean, it's a burly chunk of text to read through it. You know, you got project types, requirements, timelines, budgets. It's very confusing for people who are full time grant writers, let alone if you have a job that requires multiple other things of you. So something that we heard would be really helpful was to essentially have a mentor holding your hand through the process, really making it simple, starting with, do you qualify? Right. What are the key things? Anisa mentioned them. Right. You need a community based organization. You need to be in a disadvantaged community zone. You need to have one of these project types. You know, just start, start with something easy like that before you dive into, okay, how do we actually write the application? And so that, that was a Big challenge alone is just, is this appropriate for us? And then is it worth it? Right. How many? What are the chances of us winning? And that's been. And that's been, you know, the first Renew America Schools grant, I think they got 2% of the applicants awarded grants. So there's this kind of negative hope. You get this hope that you're going to get the money to do something. You don't get it. Why should I apply to a grant again? I didn't get the last one and it took a lot of time and effort and that can be challenging. So we're trying to overcome those. I think the other kind of big themes and barriers we found here were for a lot. Some of the concern was after you're awarded the grant, what are the operation maintenance costs, the ongoing project management costs, because there's federal reporting requirements to the government. And so a big takeaway that we had was to make sure you include those costs into the proposal and particularly have a different organization, maybe the cbo, help with those requirements. Right. So it's not on the burden of the school district to have more work and time during the grant period, but it's for the community based organization. I'll say it's running a small nonprofit. School districts. Reach out to your nonprofits, build those relationships. These are win win scenarios. They need grant money to stay operational. You need grant money to support great team. Just bake those costs in. I think those are some of the big ones. Anissa, what else did you remember?

[Anissa Heming]

No, I think you hit, you hit on the major takeaways from those focus groups. I think, I think that that initial one that you noted of just like not knowing if you're eligible and it takes some time to just like read the grant and figure out if you're eligible, even that seems like a major hurdle. And we heard that a lot from school districts. So, you know, like Craig was saying, if you can partner up with someone who might also benefit from the grant, who can read it for you and help you understand if you might be eligible is a win win for organizations in your area that might be able to help.

[John Brucato]

We talked a little bit about the challenges, but to your point, Craig, there should be some hope in there. Can you share any success stories and examples of school districts who may have secured funding and were able to do something really substantial in their school districts?

[Craig Schiller]

Well, not for this Community Change grant yet because that's been ongoing. They've only announced a few winners, so not to that. But I think Anis and I both have examples. I mean their grants have been given out. The Renewing America Schools grantees have had two sets of grantees doing great work. We could both list individual school projects. They exist, they happen. They're often meant to be based on the need. So a small, a really small school district finally getting the money to renovate their H Vac system, that type of thing or electric school buses and you know, charging stations. Does one stick out for me in particular? I don't know. I guess not.

[Anissa Heming]

We have. So we had a conversation with one community change grant winner that wasn't a K 12 school district but was a university, Dillard University in New Orleans 1. And they worked with a whole bunch of community organizations. So they on their campus are getting some heating, cooling, H vac replacements. But then they also are working with this community organization to do like mobility hubs. So doing like bike and scooter network around New Orleans to try to take care of the sort of those who pay attention to mobility will know like the last mile problem you have like your public transit doesn't quite reach people's homes. So you've got like a little bit of a gap in your public transit and so trying to address that. And then they also have partnered with this sort of group in New Orleans that's doing resilience like mini hubs so like solar powered places for people to go after storms if there's a power outage or something so that they can charge phones and refrigerate medicine and stuff like that. So things that are necessary for resilience after an event like a hurricane. So they sort of packaged together some really interesting community serving things and then they also are getting these improvements that benefit their, their students and faculty as well.

[Craig Schiller]

The most hopeful thing for me John is the people that apply to these grants. We've seen everyone apply from facility manager, principal, superintendent, teacher. Right. It does take somebody really passionate and going back to the challenges. For anyone who's really passionate, whether that's a business officer or one of your staff, a professional grant writer, these do take time, kind of hurting information from your district. So whoever the champion is on a grant, you will need to connect with other folks to get the information you need. And that will take time. But those champions really inspiring. I always get hope when I you know I at the Green Schools, Green Ribbon Schools event last year met a superintendent who also wrote the grant who's also hope principal. You know, just incredibly inspiring hopeful people that do the extra to get, get resources for their schools and that that to me is where the hope lies.

[John Brucato]

Well, and it sounds like you shouldn't be discouraged because that money is being awarded out there and some really great things are being done. It's just. It's a heavy lift.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah, it is a heavy lift. However, when you do the work, even if you don't get a grant, the work that you have for that can be more easily applied to future grants. You now know the process, you know what your needs are. Right. And so you can start looking for even state or utility incentives to help meet those needs. So the process itself is helpful. It's like making your resume, not applying a job yet, but if something comes.

[John Brucato]

Up, you have that foundation, you're ready.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah, exactly.

[Anissa Heming]

Right. Yeah.

[John Brucato]

So the last thing I'd like to talk about before we wrap up here is the Basic Coalition. Can you tell me what the Basic Coalition is and what they've been advocating for when it relates to increased federal funding for school infrastructure and maybe share a little bit about how US, gbc, CHIPS and NASBO are involved?

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah. So the Basic Coalition is Advocacy Coalition. It's a group of organizations and companies that advocate for investment from the federal government in school infrastructure. And that is through a couple of ways. It's direct investment. We have a bill called the Rebuild America Schools act that we've been pushing for years, trying to sort of get direct federal investment to make sure that we are getting equitable school facilities across the country, school facility conditions. And then there's also, however, you know, additional ways that the federal government can invest in school facilities, like the Supporting America School Infrastructure grants that they just gave out to states to grow state level capacity to support their districts. Or the national center on School Infrastructure, which just launched out of Berkeley with, with our partners, the 21st Century School Fund. And NCSI is another example of how the federal government can support school facilities through a clearinghouse of resources and, you know, training materials and things like that. So that's what the Basic Coalition advocates for. And as both is a member of that coalition, as is chips, and USGBC is also a member. I'm serving as chair this year of Basic, which is why I'm being our spokesperson right now.

[John Brucato]

The right person on the podcast.

[Anissa Heming]

Yeah, but that role rotates, so I won't always be chair, but I really believe in the work that the group does. I think it's really important to have a voice for school facilities facilities on Capitol Hill.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah. And I think anyone who's listening, if you are interested in national politics, national advocacy, the national state of schools, federal Money. Consider being a member. The value I see, as someone who is not fully in that space, the value I see is learning about not just what other organizations are doing, but also learning about the breadth of initiatives that are going on. So, John, when you ask, oh, do you know anything about X, Y and Z? If it's at the federal level, I probably do through the basic coalition. So that's been a huge value for me just as a practitioner. And I would encourage other folks, if you're interested, to consider being a member. Awesome.

[John Brucato]

All right, now I have one more question. 2025, what's that look like for school districts and what does that look like for us? GBC and chips? What initiatives do you have kind of coming down the line? And what can schools really look forward to in terms of improving their facilities throughout the next year?

[Anissa Heming]

Well, the center for Green Schools received a grant from the US EPA to do indoor air quality and carbon emissions reduction work across the country over the next five years. So we are going to be rolling that out. It's a big change and growth for our organization next year. But it also means that we'll be able to reach into local communities with the work that we've been doing at the national level to support larger school districts and their staff. And we'll be able to bring that to smaller school districts. We'll have some regional coordinators to do local peer to peer learning around indoor air quality and emissions reduction. So I'm very excited to be able to really deepen that work with school district staff and leadership to make sure that we're reaching not just the school districts that have, you know, a designated person for these topics, but people, you know, districts that have people that are serving multiple roles but still want to grow their capacity in these, in these areas. So lots, lots happening in 2025. And like we talked about earlier, the election will affect lots of things, but there are many programs that are out there that have been rolled out over the last couple years that are, that are sticking around and have, you know, the last few years of legislation have reshaped the landscape of how the federal government is investing in local communities related to climate action in particular. And so that I think that will remain for, for several years because it's such a large apparatus that has been put up and is really benefiting local communities from what we can see.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah, John, it's a great question. I have a few coming up. Number one is I'm. This is for the record, Anissa. So now this has to be done, but we're exploring how to work more together as, as chips and lead. And you know, Anis and I have had the opportunity to do a couple grant projects this year. And so despite the number of nonprofits in this space and kind of our fragmented nature, working together more to be additive is on the list, bringing philanthropic money, substantial philanthropic money, just like every other sector has in the nonprofit space, bringing that to the K12, you know, industry to support us, amplify all the great work that Anissa mentioned that Undaunted is doing that basic is doing. That's that's my priority for 2025. The concrete program that we've launched that is ongoing is called the Minor Innovations Program. And what we're doing is, is taking the credits from chips and we're looking at lead taking those credits and paring them down to projects like flooring, roofing, lighting, H Vac, which we talked about a lot on the show. Right. What does best practices look like for those, those projects that are very common in bond measures that school districts have to do all the time. So that way, you know, it's a, it's something that school districts can easily adopt knowing that they're getting industry best practices. So that's going to be coming out. We started. It's going to be fully coming out next year.

[John Brucato]

Well, you heard it here first, folks. Craig with his public accountability.

[Craig Schiller]

Yeah, you might have to retract.

[John Brucato]

I'll check in.

[Anissa Heming]

We're doing it, we're doing it, we're doing it.

[John Brucato]

It's great. Well, we were able to put a lot in an hour here and admittedly, my head is spinning. There's a lot of options out there, especially as not just a podcast host, but when I put my business official hat back on, there's a lot of opportunities and a lot of work ahead of us. And I cannot thank you both, Anissa and Craig, for coming on and just sharing what's out there and breaking it down for our listeners and really advocating on behalf of school districts. So thank you for spending a little bit of time with me today.

[Anissa Heming]

Thanks so much for having us done.

[John Brucato]

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