MONTGOMERY— Gov. Bob Riley has awarded a $200,000 economic stimulus grant to help the Jackson County school system save energy and cut utility costs.

The grant will fund lighting upgrades at Rosalie Elementary School, Section High School and Skyline High School.

“Improving the energy efficiency of our school buildings is a wise investment,” Riley said. “Reducing energy expenditures will stretch taxpayer dollars and allow the school system to focus more resources on the classroom.”

The school system will replace lighting fixtures in the schools with new models that produce an equivalent amount of light using lower wattage bulbs. The project also includes the installation of occupancy sensors that automatically turn lights off when classrooms or other areas are unoccupied. The improvements will save an estimated $34,000 annually, according to school system officials.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from funds made available to Alabama by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Riley notified Kenneth Harding, superintendent of Jackson County Schools, that the grant had been approved.

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Contact: Mike Presley, Larry Childers