School & District Management Download

How to Get the Feds to Pay After You Make Your School Buildings Greener

By Mark Lieberman & Francis Sheehan — October 13, 2023 1 min read
Green ideas environment
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Thousands of school buildings across the country need billions of dollars’ worth of major repairs, renovations, and additions. The federal government can help with a big chunk of the cost—if districts have sustainability in mind.

Congress last year passed a massive spending package that included a new program that creates incentives for school districts to make their buildings more energy-efficient with projects centered around solar and geothermal systems.

Unlike a traditional grant program, there’s no limit to how many incentives schools nationwide can get, and there’s also no limit to how big each incentive can be.

See Also

Photo of excavator by new high school.
iStock / Getty Images Plus

Districts just need to finance the upfront costs of the project, complete the work, and then fill out some Internal Revenue Service forms to get their cash rebates.

Every district will be eligible for a rebate worth 30 percent of the project cost. Some districts will be eligible for the federal government to cover up to 60 percent of the total cost of their green building project, if they meet certain eligibility criteria.

This program could be lucrative for school districts that choose to take advantage of it. Here’s how it works.

Click Here to Download the Guide

    A version of this article appeared in the November 01, 2023 edition of Education Week as How to Get the Feds to Pay After You Make Your School Buildings Greener

    Events

    This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
    Sponsor
    Special Education Webinar
    Hidden Costs of Special Ed Vacancies: Solutions for Your District
    When provider vacancies hit, students feel it first. Hear what district leaders are doing to keep IEP-related services on track.
    Content provided by Huddle Up
    This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
    Sponsor
    Privacy & Security Webinar
    How Technology Is Reshaping Childhood
    How do we protect kids online while embracing innovation? Learn about navigating safety, privacy, and opportunity in the Digital Age.
    Content provided by Connect x Protect
    Budget & Finance Webinar Creative Approaches to K-12 Budget Realities
    What are districts prioritizing in 2026? New survey data reveals emerging K-12 budgeting trends.

    EdWeek Top School Jobs

    Teacher Jobs
    Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
    View Jobs
    Principal Jobs
    Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
    View Jobs
    Administrator Jobs
    Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
    View Jobs
    Support Staff Jobs
    Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
    View Jobs

    Read Next

    School & District Management A New Survey Shows What a State Gets Right and Wrong for Its School Leaders
    The group behind it hopes statewide results help district leaders do their jobs better.
    5 min read
    Edenton, N.C. - September 5th, 2025: Sonya Rinehart, principal at John A. Holmes High School, coordinates with other faculty members on a walkie talkie during in the hallway during class change.
    A principal at a high school in Edenton, N.C., coordinates with other faculty members on a walkie talkie during in the hallway during class change on Sept. 5, 2025. School leaders in the state say they are happy with their districts but need more support and learning opportunities.
    Cornell Watson for Education Week
    School & District Management High Diesel Prices and Schools: How Districts Are Keeping Buses on the Road
    A new survey of school district leaders breaks down what they're already doing to keep buses running.
    Gas prices are displayed at a gas station in Wheeling, Ill., on May 14, 2026.
    Prices on display at a gas station in Wheeling, Ill., on May 14, 2026. Most school districts in a new survey say they're over budget for fuel costs as prices, particularly for diesel needed to keep school buses running, remain high as the Iran war continues.
    Nam Y. Huh/AP
    School & District Management Schools Brace for Impact as Fuel Prices Climb
    Districts are tightening budgets as transporting students and heating buildings grow more costly.
    A full lot of parked school buses
    School buses are parked at the Dayton Public Transportation center on Thursday, August 21, 2025 in Dayton, Ohio. School districts are already feeling the strain on their budgets as they buy diesel at elevated prices for their school buses.
    Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos/AP
    School & District Management Opinion School Leadership Can Feel Painfully Lonely. It Doesn’t Have To
    Here are three ways I’ve learned to stave off the isolation of being a principal.
    Nicole Forrest
    4 min read
    A leader isolated on a floating dock in the center of an empty expanse.
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Canva