An LCRA representative presents a $25,000 grant to the May Independent School District for a new outdoor learning space. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Grants program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Amanda Chapman, Early Chamber of Commerce membership director; Wendy Lawson, Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce executive director; Chad Dail, May ISD superintendent; Michelle Owings, May ISD chief financial officer; Cooper Hogg, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; Joel Kelton, Brown County commissioner, Precinct 2; and David “Doc” Reid, Brown County commissioner, Precinct 3.
The May Independent School District soon will transform an empty lot into a greenspace featuring three solar charging hubs to support a new outdoor classroom and provide safety lighting and off-grid charging stations, thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority.
The LCRA Community Grant, along with $11,500 in matching in-kind contributions from the district, will support the creation of a versatile outdoor learning space, as well as provide reliable lighting and energy access to help improve campus safety and provide a backup power source where residents can charge communication devices during emergencies or power outages.
“This grant from LCRA is a game changer for May ISD,” said Chad Dail, superintendent of May Independent School District. “By transforming an empty lot into a functional greenspace with solar-powered hubs and safety lighting, we are creating a unique, sustainable outdoor learning environment.”
In addition to providing a new outdoor learning space thanks to the solar-powered hubs, the project will provide motion-activated lighting in an area that currently is unlit. It also will replace 1,200 square feet of asphalt and dirt with an ADA-accessible, irrigated greenspace.
“This project not only enhances our campus safety but ensures our students and staff have access to innovative technology and emergency power, even in off-grid situations,” Dail said. “We are grateful for the opportunity that this provides for our students and community.”
The project will be within the school’s fenced area but will be open to the public during events such as home athletic games, pep rallies and school-hosted events, and will be open to local civic groups and youth organizations when they meet on campus. In addition, the district plans to open the solar-charging hubs to the public in the event of a power outage to provide a place to power their devices.
This is one of 41 grants awarded recently through LCRA Community Grants. These grants are awarded twice a year as part of LCRA’s effort to give back to communities in its wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July. More information is available atwww.lcra.org/grants.
