Snoqualmie School District, design-build firm partner on grant to fix boilers, lighting
Published 9:02 am Wednesday, July 11, 2012
The Snoqualmie Valley School District will receive a large grant to upgrade its buildings, as part of the 2012 Jobs Now Act program
McKinstry, a design-and-build firm, and the Snoqualmie Valley School District have partnered to secure grant money for improvements to school facilities. The district will receive $944,010 for the cost of school boilers, lighting and controls improvements. With this grant, the district will be able to replace four boilers at two schools (Fall City Elementary and North Bend Elementary), and install energy-saving exterior lighting in several school buildings throughout the district.
About 14 million students in the U.S. attend schools that are considered below or lower than the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction standard and almost two-thirds of schools have building facilities such as air conditioning that are in need of extensive repair or replacement. In upgraded campuses, research indicates that performance increases for both students and teachers.
“We are pleased to have been awarded this grant, which is quite substantial. These resources will enable us to address some critical facilities needs while also enhancing our efforts to reduce costs through improved energy efficiencies. This grant will make a real, tangible difference in our district,” said Joel Aune, Snoqualmie Valley School District Superintendent.
Approved by the Washington State Legislature in April, the 2012 Jobs Now Act allocates $78 million to competitive grant programs that fund energy and operational cost saving improvements in public buildings across the state.
Since 2009, McKinstry has secured over $46 million in state grant funding for clients. Those grants have been leveraged into over $100 million in project work. In addition to enhancing facilities, projects also stimulate the local economy by employing local consultants and contractors. McKinstry anticipates 10 to 18 direct and indirect jobs will be created for every $1 million spent on projects.
McKinstry is a full-service, design-build-operate-and-maintain (DBOM) firm specializing in consulting, construction, energy and facility services. For more information, visit www.mckinstry.com
