Albany city schools Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter speaks at Thomas S. O’Brien Academy of Science & Technology on April 27 about a $10 million grant to improve HVAC at TOAST and two other schools.
Kathleen Moore/Times Union
ALBANY — The Albany city school district is using a $10 million grant to pay the last of its costs for a $98 million project that makes improvements at all of its schools.
The grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority will do double duty: in addition to helping pay the district’s portion for the capital project, it will be used for energy efficiency projects at three schools. That will save the district $25,000 a year in electricity and natural gas costs. That’s 20% of the district’s $125,000 utilities bill for the three schools.
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Of course, utility costs are increasing, but at $25,000 in annual savings, it would take 400 years for the district to recoup the $10 million it is spending on the improvements.
Nonetheless, it’s worth it, state and school officials said.
The work will keep classes going, instead of having to close a school when the heat or air conditioning breaks down, they said.
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And it will also give children a better future environmentally, said Doreen Harris, president and CEO of NYSERDA.
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“We’re delivering on clean air, clean water, and really uplifting disadvantaged communities while we protect our natural resources,” she said at an announcement at an Albany elementary school. “I’m excited about what we’re going to deliver for communities and especially deliver for our children.”
And in the immediate future, schools Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter said, people will notice the difference at the three schools that are getting upgrades.
“They’ll feel it when you walk into the building, in terms of being in climate-controlled environments. You’ll feel it on the coldest winter days — that our systems are up and running, and making sure classrooms and learning spaces are warm,” he said.
The three schools are Thomas O’Brien Academy of Science and Technology, Giffen Memorial Elementary and Albany International Academy.
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NYSERDA also announced last month that it is opening the next round of grants for energy-related projects at schools. The agency has $100 million to fund projects, and officials believe that will cover improvements in 20 school districts.
Leveraging the grant
Hochreiter said he was already getting eager questions from other superintendents about how he turned a $10 million grant into a fully funded $98 million capital project.
The state is covering two-thirds of the work, about $71 million. The rest is coming from the grant, the district’s capital fund and savings from paying off debt.
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“We still need voter approval, but we don’t need one additional dime from our taxpayers,” he said.
Other than the HVAC work, projects include upgrading auditoriums, cafeterias, libraries, gyms and playgrounds. Less exciting work includes roofing, updated fire alarm and public address systems, and about $3 million on secure vestibules. Work will be done on all 17 schools in the district.