Wichita Watch: $20M for 30 Wichita Schools — What Should Our Community Watch?

Aug 24

2 min read

A major school investment is moving through Wichita

Wichita Public Schools currently reports a $20 million Renew America’s Schools investment for energy upgrades at 30 schools across the district. Planned work includes lighting efficiency, building-envelope improvements, retro-commissioning and controls, and HVAC upgrades.

RRCBA helped bring this investment to Wichita

RRCBA’s January 2025 Community Impact Report documents that, in partnership with Wichita Public Schools (USD 259), RRCBA helped secure the original $15.3 million U.S. Department of Energy Renew America’s Schools grant. That partnership connected the school improvements to a broader community-benefits vision — not only better buildings, but also pathways for residents and local businesses to benefit from the investment.

The original RRCBA impact materials connected the award to energy upgrades across 30 schools, apprenticeship and workforce-development opportunities, local and minority-owned business participation, and broader reinvestment in historically underserved communities.

USD 259’s current grant page now reports the overall Renew America’s Schools investment at $20 million. Because the public figure has increased since RRCBA’s original impact report, this article uses $20 million when describing the current project while preserving the documented $15.3 million figure when describing RRCBA’s role in the original award.

This is the kind of work RRCBA was created to help advance: making sure major investments do more than complete a project — they create opportunities that reach people, businesses and neighborhoods too.

Why RRCBA should care

Large public investments are not only construction stories. They can become workforce, contracting, youth-development, technology, and neighborhood-investment stories depending on how implementation is structured.

What apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, or career pathways are connected to the work?
What opportunities exist for local, minority-owned, and historically underutilized businesses?
How are students exposed to the skilled trades, energy efficiency, engineering, and related careers?
How will the community see what was spent, where, and with whom?