Lexington School District 1 was awarded $407,613 in stimulus funds by the South Carolina Budget and Control Board’s State Energy Office to make energy efficiency improvements.

The district will replace an inefficient, 18-year-old heating and air conditioning system at Saxe Gotha Elementary School.  This improvement will help the district save more than $61,000 annually.

 “Saxe Gotha Elementary School will experience a significant decrease in its energy bills with the installation of this new equipment,” said John Clark, director of the South Carolina Energy Office. “Replacing an old, inefficient heating and air conditioning system is a necessary improvement to reach greater energy efficiency that the district will now be able to make with this grant.”

The state’s 85 school districts are sharing $20.3 million in grants and loans for energy efficiency.  The state’s two- and four-year colleges are receiving a total of $12.2 million, and state agencies are getting $7.4 million for energy efficiency improvements.  Each entity’s allocation is based on the size of the organization’s energy bill.