Stimulus grant to help fund junior high renovations in Poplar Bluff

Grant money recently awarded to Poplar Bluff School District will help fund junior high renovations scheduled to take place this summer.

Estimated to cost $2.3 million, the project is expected to open for bids this week. It would include asbestos removal, as well as lighting, electrical and air conditioning upgrades.

The nearly $23,000 from the Energize Missouri Communities grant program will help pay for installation of occupancy sensors and replacement of lights.

This program is funded through the American Recovery Reinvestment Act and was designed to help improve energy efficiency in old buildings, said Associate Superintendent Clint Johnston.

"This will replace lights and in doing so offset some of the overall costs," Johnston said.

Occupancy sensors will turn lights off when no one is in a room.

The district is looking into other grant opportunities for the project.

"Right not, every dollar helps as we try to close (budget) gaps as much as we can," Johnston said. "Small sums can add up."

Junior high work could also include replacement of ceilings, classroom window/wall replacement, gym bleachers, gym air-conditioning and gym ceiling/ lighting.

Cape Girardeau County was also awarded nearly $319,000 from Energize Missouri Communities to replace 7,500 light fixtures with high efficiency lighting at public buildings with three partnering counties.

The City of Jackson will receive some $466,000 to install variable frequency drive motor controls and replace digestion blowers at the wastewater treatment facility.

Another $10,000 goes to the City of Parma to retrofit heating and cooling systems at its community center.

Perry County will use $30,000 to install a 10 kilowatt photovoltaic system and replace building exterior lighting at its sheriff's office.

Grant recipients have until August 2012 to complete their projects.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is administering more than $200 million in stimulus funding to support Energize Missouri.