The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) today awarded over $52 million in grants to help upgrade public school facilities through the Green School Works program. As part of that funding, Lowell Public Schools received $5-million for the newly purchased Jeanne D’Arc School.

The money will be used to install air source heat pumps and to complete weatherization and energy efficiency work at the building, which will serve students with autism in grades PreK through 12th.

Funded through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the program aims to make K–12 public school buildings more energy-efficient, lower costs for school districts, reduce pollution, and create safer and healthier learning environments for students and educators.

“Investing in clean energy to modernize our schools is one of the smartest steps we can take to create healthier, safer learning environments for our students and educators,” said Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “By improving energy efficiency, we lower costs, reduce harmful pollution, and free up valuable resources to support teachers and educational programs. This is an investment in our buildings, the future of our communities, and the well-being of the next generation.”

The program will fund 18 projects in total across Massachusetts to modernize energy systems while investing in the well-being of communities. Each project benefits student populations where at least 40 percent of the students come from low-income backgrounds, with many of them located in environmental justice communities that have historically lacked access to building upgrades and infrastructure investment.