These Cuyahoga County school districts are getting solar power systems

Between the lines: The county selected school districts that were racially and socioeconomically diverse for the federal funds to underscore that one's address and economic circumstances should not be a barrier to green living.

• The bulk of the money comes from the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program.

The latest: U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown hand-delivered a $557,250 check for Cuyahoga County at a press event Tuesday at Maple Heights High School.

• Maple Heights, Cuyahoga Heights, East Cleveland, Euclid and a fifth district that has not yet been disclosed will receive funds.

What they're saying: Maple Heights Principal Markiel Perkins said that the solar panels would model the district's commitment to sustainability and energy conservation for students.

• "We're not just talking the talk," he said. "We're walking the walk."

By the numbers: The procurement process is still underway, but the county estimates the total cost per district will be roughly $400,000.

• Those per-district costs will be reduced nearly $100,000 by the federal grant, plus a forgivable $50,000 loan from Growth Opportunity Partners and a clean energy tax credit-equivalent payment from the Inflation Reduction Act.

What's next: The county's interim director of sustainability, Valerie Katz, said it hoped to select an installer by the end of the summer and begin installation this fall.