Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel voted for legislation to improve our public schools, create clean energy jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lower energy costs for taxpayers. The legislation was approved by the House on Thursday, will invest in our schools in order to boost our economy now and help prepare our children for the jobs of the future.

Rep. Engel said, “Our schools should provide a safe and healthy learning environment. This legislation gives us a chance to upgrade our school buildings and boost student achievement, while creating local jobs in new, clean energy industries.”

The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act provides over $6 billion in federal funds to upgrade school buildings. This legislation will do this by making them more energy efficient and more reliant on renewable sources of energy. New York State will receive an estimated $515,540,000 in funding. The bill also generates long-term savings for schools by reducing energy expenses. Green schools reduce pollution by using about 30% less water and energy than conventional schools, and emit almost 40% less harmful carbon dioxide.

Rep. Engel, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said “This is exactly the kind of smart legislation we need to get out of this economic crisis. This bill saves money for our schools, creates jobs and gets us closer to our goal of providing every child with a world class education by giving more students and teachers a safe, environmentally-friendly learning environment. At the same time, it modernizes our schools and prepares our workers for a new, clean American energy economy.”

According to calculations by the Economic Policy Institute, this legislation’s construction funding would support as many as 136,000 new jobs – many in areas that will give workers the valuable skills they need to excel in a clean energy economy.

The bill passed by a vote of 275 to 155 and now goes to the Senate.

Rep. Engel said that grant amounts are estimates that may be amended when new data is considered.

* Mount Vernon City School District: $1,251,000
* Dobbs Ferry Union Free School District: $22,000
* Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free School District: $21,000
* Nanuet Union Free School District: $45,000
* Clarkstown Central School District: $90,000
* Nyack Union Free School District: $105,000
* Pearl River Union Free School District: $26,000
* East Ramapo Central School District: $3,995,000
* Ramapo Central School District: $135,000
* Yonkers City School District: $5,279,000
* South Orangetown Central School District: $57,000
* Greenburgh Central School District: $119,000

The Bronx as a whole will receive $105,059,000.