Oxford, MS - Lafayette County School District announced today that Lafayette Upper Elementary’s 6th grade building has been selected to win a Building Energy Upgrade Grant through the TVA EnergyRight School Uplift program.
Tight budgets and aging buildings leave many schools facing a difficult decision between funding learning programs and making needed facility upgrades that can lower energy costs and improve health and comfort. TVA’s School Uplift program partnered with local power companies across seven states to help 99 public schools tackle energy waste this school year.
School Uplift is a year-long energy management training program that helps schools make smart energy choices that improve the classroom learning environment and save money through decreased energy use.
Joanna Porter and her 6th-grade QUEST students led the program for LUES. “The School Uplift program was a wonderful learning experience for many of our students and teachers,” Porter said. “I watched my students grow every month through the process. We learned about the TVA and becoming more environmentally conscious. We also shared what we learned with 3rd-6th grade students through a video we created.”
Lafayette Upper Elementary joins over 323 schools to have completed School Uplift over the past four years, competing to earn grants for building upgrades and other learning environment improvements. On average, participating schools save nearly 10% on their annual energy bills from behavior changes alone.
“Every dollar invested in our schools helps districts allocate resources to what truly matters – providing quality education for our children,” said Monika Beckner, vice president of TVA’s Energy Services & Programs. "We’re proud of the winners of this year’s School Uplift grants, who are dedicated to reducing energy waste and building a stronger, more sustainable future.”
TVA EnergyRight and North East Mississippi Electric Power Association are currently recruiting K-12 schools for the 2026-2027 school year. Visit https://energyright.com/business-industry/school-uplift/ to express interest in participating in this exciting program.
About TVA
The Tennessee Valley Authority is the nation’s largest public power supplier, delivering energy to more than 10 million people across seven southeastern states. TVA has one of the most diverse energy systems, including nuclear, hydro, solar, gas, and advanced technologies. To prepare for the future, TVA is making significant investments in its power system toward new generation and transmission.
TVA is a self-supporting corporate agency of the United States, receiving no annual federal appropriations and deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. TVA maintains some of the lowest energy costs and highest reliability in the nation. TVA’s residential rates are lower than those paid by over 80% of customers of the top 100 U.S. utilities, and industrial rates are lower than those paid by over 90% of customers of the top 100 U.S. utilities. In addition, TVA provides flood control, navigation, and land management for the Tennessee River system, and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation. Learn more at TVA.com.