The Allegheny Valley School District has received a $300,000 Solar for Schools grant through Pennsylvania’s state grant program. The funds will support the installation of a new solar energy system at Acmetonia Elementary School.
The solar installation is designed to generate clean energy on site, reducing the district’s reliance on the local electrical grid and lowering long-term utility expenses. The school board approved moving forward with the program earlier this year to address rising electricity costs and redirect financial savings back into educational programming.
State Rep. Mandy Steele advocated on behalf of public education and small school districts to support the district’s efforts. The school board members who voted to move forward with the program include Colleen Crumb, Fred Derringer, Jeanne Haas, Paula Moretti, Rebecca Mundok, Nino Pollino, Nicole Paulovich and Glenna Renaldi.
Hamsini Rajgopal, the district’s director of finance and business operations, prepared the grant application for the project. “Rising energy costs pose a continuous challenge to our budget,” Rajgopal said. “This solar project allows us to take greater control of our operational costs, achieve long-term financial relief and demonstrate civic leadership through a large-scale renewable energy project in our community. We are incredibly grateful for this opportunity.”
The district plans to integrate the solar energy system into its kindergarten through sixth-grade science curriculum, allowing students to explore concepts related to renewable energy, sustainability, science and technology.
The district will display educational materials at Acmetonia Elementary School and provide project updates through its website and social media channels.
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