Burns: $2 million grant upgrades Conemaugh Valley Jr.-Sr. High
‘Rep. Burns had an integral impact on this process’
Rep. Frank Burns June 24, 2025
EBENSBURG, June 24 – Conemaugh Valley Junior-Senior High School is getting major energy-saving improvements – estimated to shave $40,000 off its yearly $200,000 utility bill – due to a $2 million grant that featured state Rep. Frank Burns as Harrisburg advocate.
Superintendent Shane Hazenstab said the “very large grant for our district” covers HVAC upgrades (including equipment replacement), interior lighting upgrades (including the auditorium) last performed in 1992, automation system upgrades (including pneumatic controls, and heating and cooling system controls), window replacement and added insulation.
Hazenstab said the junior-senior high school, which opened in the late 1960s and has 325 students in grades 7 through 12, benefited greatly from Burns’ attention and effort.
“As far as Frank’s involvement, I reached out to him and said, ‘This (grant opportunity) is out there, it’s something we would like to pursue.’ I believe that Rep. Burns had an integral impact on this process, and our receipt of this grant,” Hazenstab said.
“I feel confident saying that Frank Burns advocated on behalf of Conemaugh Valley to receive this award. We were one of the highest (dollar) recipients in the state for this particular grant.” ____________________________________________________________________________
“I believe that Rep. Burns had an integral impact on this process, and our receipt of this grant … We were one of the highest (dollar) recipients in the state for this particular grant.” – Superintendent Shane Hazenstab, Conemaugh Valley School District.
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Hazenstab said the project is considered a Guaranteed Energy Savings Act (GESA) project, which required a 25-percent school district match that will be paid for from the estimated 20 percent annual savings in utility costs.
Burns said such arrangements are a win-win for local taxpayers, as those projects can be structured to pay for themselves over time, avoiding or minimizing property tax hikes.
“That facet is critically important for small, rural school districts like Conemaugh Valley, which don’t have a large tax base from which to draw,” Burns said. “Every school district dollar that comes back from Harrisburg is a dollar that doesn’t come from local residents’ pockets.”