Lexington-Richland School District 5 has been awarded $386,296 in stimulus funds by the South Carolina Budget and Control Board’s State Energy Office to make energy efficiency improvements.

The district will update lighting fixtures and install new lighting controls at Dutch Fork High School and Irmo High School. These improvements will save the district over $62,000 annually.

“These improvements at Dutch Fork and Irmo High Schools will help the district significantly reduce its energy costs,” said John Clark, director of the South Carolina Energy Office. “Lighting improvements are vital to energy efficiency, and this grant will allow Lexington-Richland School District 5 to see greater savings on its energy bills.”

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.