Northern Tier News

Two school districts have been awarded a total of $1.5 million in state funding for facility improvement projects, as announced by Rep. Martin Causer and Sen. Cris Dush.

The Oswayo Valley School District received $1 million to upgrade the HVAC system at its elementary school. The project includes replacing air units and boilers to enhance temperature control and energy efficiency, along with updating piping infrastructure and optimizing system controls.

The Otto-Eldred School District was granted $505,000 for roof replacement and restoration at Otto-Eldred Junior-Senior High School. This involves replacing sections of the roof damaged by wind or prone to leaks while restoring other areas.

Rep. Causer stated, “It’s so important to ensure our students have safe and comfortable schools in which to learn, and these grants will go a long way toward helping Oswayo Valley and Otto-Eldred meet significant HVAC and roofing needs.” He added that he was pleased to support these investments.

Sen. Dush emphasized the importance of the funding: “This funding will ensure that necessary improvements at Oswayo Valley and Otto-Eldred are completed for the benefits of both the students who learn there and the teachers that teach there.” He highlighted that leveraging state funds helps prevent an increased tax burden on families already dealing with rising costs.

The grants come from the Public School Facility Improvement Grant program, designed to assist public school districts and technical schools with eligible facility upgrades. Each district is required to provide 25% of the project cost in matching funds.