Henrico Schools earns 2026 Future-Ready Facilities Grant to support energy conservation, environmental education
Henrico County Public Schools recently was named a recipient of the 2026 Future-Ready Facilities Grant, a national program sponsored by Attune that will distribute $500,000 in total funding across 14 selected K-12 public school divisions.
Henrico Schools will receive energy and water monitoring technology, expert implementation support and access to real-time data dashboards — designed to provide the division with a look at how school buildings are performing and empowering smarter, more proactive decisions for the health and safety of students and staff.
The resources will be used by the HCPS Department of Teaching and Learning, the HCPS Department of Facilities and the Henrico County Sustainability Division to monitor water and energy usage at all of Henrico’s high schools and the Campus of Virginia Randolph and identify potential opportunities for short- and long-term improvements.
More than 4,000 environmental education and statistics students across Henrico also will have the technology and data available as part of curriculums.
“This grant further positions Henrico County Public Schools as a local and national leader in environmental education and sustainability,” said Amy Cashwell, HCPS superintendent. “These resources will have an invaluable impact on our students’ learning environments and life-ready curriculum, and we’re grateful to be among the first school divisions to benefit from this terrific program.”
HCPS was selected from a competitive national applicant pool through an independent evaluation process led by the Green Schools National Network, the International WELL Building Institute, the 21st Century School Fund, and the Center for Green Schools — four of the country's leading organizations in school sustainability, healthy buildings and infrastructure.
The Future-Ready Facilities Grant was created to address challenges that affect student outcomes, equity, and community wellbeing — from poor indoor air quality and rising energy costs to inefficient water systems. Applications were evaluated based on need, impact, and district readiness. HCPS joins 13 other school divisions in the inaugural Future-Ready Cohort.
