Natick's Bennett-Hemenway School lands federal grant to make it more comfortable

NATICK — The Bennett-Hemenway Elementary School will soon be completely electrified — meaning it will not rely on fossil fuels for on-site heating and air conditioning — thanks to a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Natick Public Schools is a part of the first round for the Renew America's Schools grant program. The competitive program addresses upgrades at public school facilities.

According to the Department of Energy (DOE), Natick Public Schools plans to make improvements at Bennett-Hemenway Elementary School.

"Staff and students have suffered heat stroke and other heat-related illness due to a lack of centralized air-conditioning during high-degree days," according to the Department of Energy's June 29 announcement.

Natick Public Schools requested $2,037,131, with $626,795 in a proposed cost share, according to the government. The DOE also reported that Natick Public Schools is pairing deferred maintenance repairs with "forward-thinking" investments. These investments include the addition of an air-to-water heat pump system, heat exchanger and the replacement of rooftop units, air handling units and building automation system.

Natick official says school endured health concerns

The effort was spearheaded by Natick Sustainability Director Jillian Wilson-Martin and the town's Public Works and Facilities Department Director William Spratt. Wilson-Martin said Bennett-Hemenway has had health concerns due to its lack of air conditioning.

"It becomes so hot that students, faculty and staff are dealing with heat illnesses," she said.

Wilson-Martin also noted that Bennett-Hemenway, which serves grades K-4, is Natick's largest elementary school and will soon accept METCO students. Bennett-Hemenway consumes more energy per square foot than other Natick schools and is also the largest consumer of natural gas among school buildings, according to Wilson-Martin. She added that Bennett-Hemenway is second when it comes to emitting greenhouse gases after Natick High School, which is three times as large.

"I'm thrilled, it took my breath away," Wilson-Martin said of the award. "It's the largest sustainability grant Natick has ever received. I'm as happy as I could be."

Over 75% of applicants requested improvements to HVAC systems and 41% requested building controls, according to the DOE.

School Committee Chair Shai Fuxman said the committee is honored to have received the funding.

"Obviously, it will bring improvements to the school environment and health," Fuxman said. "It's a great opportunity to address school climate in an innovative and sustainable way."

Sen. Warren touts 'healthier, safer learning environments'

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., praised the new funding in an emailed statement.

"I’m thrilled that the Biden administration is making this critical investment for schools in Natick, Massachusetts," Warren wrote. "This funding will help create healthier, safer and more supportive learning environments for our children while strengthening our local economies with good paying jobs."

Natick Public Schools' grant is among 24 issued across 22 states totaling $178 million. Applications for the competitive grant were due in April. According to the DOE, more than 1,000 concept papers totaling nearly $5.5 billion in requests were submitted. Natick was selected along with the other 24 schools because it "demonstrated significant technical merit and responsiveness to the goals of the funding opportunity," according to the DOE.

In response to high demand, the DOE more than doubled the funding available for Round 1 of the competition, from $80 million to $178 million.

According to the DOE, many schools are collaborating with partners such as energy service companies, unions, utilities and higher education institutions to bring projects to fruition. Bennett-Hemenway is teaming with BLW Engineers, a Littleton-based engineering firm, and UndauntedK12, an organization dedicated to making an equitable transition to zero carbon emissions.

Natick Public Schools will partner with Keefe Regional Technical School to provide on-site job training using a project-based opportunity. The school system is also teaming up with UMass Amherst to pilot a school decarbonization tool.

"Community partners will join Natick and DOE in accomplishing the project’s goals and supporting job training and building decarbonization planning among disadvantaged communities," according to the DOE.

The new grant money will also support Bennett-Hemenway's goal of decarbonization.

"We believe we can go from using fossil fuels to not using them," Wilson-Martin said, adding that there is some planned resiliency as well.

According to Wilson-Martin, design work and procurement will be completed by next spring after negotiations with the DOE.

Natick interim Superintendent of Schools Bella Wong and Bennett-Hemenway Principal Karen Ghilani did not return requests for comment.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Natick elementary school lands $2M grant to upgrade HVAC system