Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky receives a $1,824,613 check!

LOUISVILLE, KY., March 2025 — In January 2025, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) received a $1,824,613 reimbursement from the IRS for the installation of ground-source heat pumps at two new elementary schools – Echo Trail Middle School and Dr. William H. Perry Elementary School – through a funding mechanism called Elective Pay. The ground-source heat pumps provide reliable and affordable heating and cooling to the building, and advanced insulation and efficient lighting systems help to lower the building’s utility costs. JCPS partnered with two Louisville-based firms—Morel Construction, and engineering and consulting firm CMTA, on the new schools.

These new schools help to alleviate overcrowding in the districts, and mark the first step in JCPS’s plan to build 26 new schools over the next decade, improving student learning environments for the district’s 94,793 students. Many currently attend classes in buildings that are over 50 years old and beyond their expected lifespan.

Construction is already underway on two additional schools, and the district expects to break ground on four more by the end of 2025. All six projects will include ground-source heat pumps, which are expected to reduce long-term energy use and operational costs, freeing up funds that can be reinvested into teacher salaries and classroom materials. The modern HVAC systems will also improve student health and well-being by improving indoor air quality and keeping classroom temperatures comfortable.

In March, Executive Administrator for Government and Community Relations at JCPS, Chuck Truesdell, joined Warren County Public Schools Superintendent Christopher McIntyre and other education leaders from across the country on Capitol Hill to advocate for the preservation of energy tax credits for projects like theirs. Truesdell shared the district’s plans to invest $150M-$180M annually over the next four years in infrastructure upgrades and new school construction, supporting an estimated 533 to 1,134 construction jobs each year and improving the school community. Continued access to the energy tax credits is essential to making these investments possible.

To learn more about how schools are modernizing their infrastructure with federal support, visit our energy tax credits homepage and explore Elective Pay resources.