ISD gets $50K after energy upgrades

KILGORE – As the new Kilgore ISD High School nears completion, the district was awarded nearly $50k from Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) on Monday for energy-saving initiatives recently installed on campus. According to our news partner KETK, the incentive donation follows the district’s installation of energy-efficient systems, including LED lighting and an advanced HVAC system. SWEPCO stated that the energy saved by these initiatives can power 30 East Texas homes for one year.

“We are grateful for the partnership with SWEPCO and the Compass for Schools team throughout the construction of our new Kilgore High School,” assistant superintendent of administrative services for Kilgore ISD April Cox said. “These incentives will provide long-term operational savings while supporting an exceptional learning environment for our students and staff for years to come.”

SWEPCO stated that the $49,502.62 awarded to the district will go directly towards benefiting students entering the new high school.

“It’s so cool to see them committing to their students, not just with a brand new high school as a community, but also to say, ‘hey, this money that we’re going to get as an energy efficiency rebate’, we’re going to put that right back in,” SWEPCO External Affairs Manager Mark Robinson said. “He specified that the funds would support various student programs, including a school store, opportunities from the boardroom and a food pantry that is planned.”

The new Kilgore High School is expected to open this August and will serve 1,100 students and more than 150 staff members.