Springfield school shows off new solar upgrade

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Twenty-five million dollars will be put into Springfield's public schools to make a variety of upgrades, and over the past year, $15 million in renovations have already been completed.

On Tuesday, school officials toured the changes, including a new solar learning lab at the Springfield Rennaisance School on Carew Street.

It's not just a learning experience, though. Electricity from the panels will go towards powering the administrative office.

Renaissance School Principal Dr. Stephen Mahoney said that the upgrades will move the school forward.

"It's a really great opportunity to have it in kids faces, and for us to made connections to this is the direction the world is moving,” Mahoney said.

Springfield Superintendent Daniel Warwick says that improvements like the ones highlighted on Tuesday will help keep older school buildings viable.

"A lot of these facilities were built many years ago,” Warwick said. “The original VanSickle (Middle School) was built in 1930, but by putting money into these buildings we can keep them alive for another 50 years."

Eighty percent of the funding for these projects is from the state. The city is covering the remaining 20 %.