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Benton Harbor Area Schools wins roughly $12 million Section 12e infrastructure grant
Summary
Director Brock Carter told the board the district received a Section 12e state grant (approximately $12,000,300) aimed at HVAC and roof work at the high school and middle school; trustees asked whether temperature-control upgrades could be included and were told engineers will clarify scope.
Director Brock Carter reported that Benton Harbor Area Schools was awarded an estimated $12,000,300 through the state Section 12e school infrastructure grant program administered by the Michigan Department of Education. Carter said the competitive award focused on priority repairs at the high school and middle school and that the district wrote work on HVAC and roof upgrades into its application.
Trustees welcomed the news and asked whether the grant could fund temperature-control upgrades such as sensors or HVAC components that would allow better room-level control. Carter said the district will work with engineers to determine the precise scope and costs and that the next steps will include design verification to see what can be included within the grant award. He acknowledged that the grant writing team and outgoing superintendent contributed to the application and thanked them publicly.
Vice President Barnes asked whether the grant could cover construction of a new building or was limited to repair; Carter said the grant is targeted to repairs and items specifically written into the application. Board members emphasized applying for future rounds to include elementary-school needs and praised the district’s new grant-writer capacity. The board did not take separate action on the award during this meeting but discussed next steps for contracting engineers and developing specific proposals to present to the board.
