Pennsylvania schools are interested in the idea of installing solar panels on schools. Frankly, they’re more interested than state officials thought they would be.

In its pilot round of funding for the Solar for Schools program approved by the state Legislature in 2024, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development reported receiving 88 grant applications from schools across 25 counties. Schools requested $88 million in funding — more than three times the available $25 million. Another $25 million for the program has been included in Gov.Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal for 2026.

The interest shouldn’t be surprising. Installing solar panels can help lower electricity costs, so if the state is going to help pay the installation costs it shouldn’t, in theory, take long for schools to recoup their costs. Once the project is paid off schools savings on electricity can be reprogrammed into teachers or something else that benefits students.

Given the tight school budgets – particularly in rural areas throughout the state – anything that has the possibility of long-term cost savings is going to be popular amongst school boards and district superintendents.

While we don’t think state officials understood just how popular Solar for Schools would be, we’re not sure we’d triple the program’s funding quite yet, either.

Solar for Schools sounds great in theory, but before program funding is increased we think the DCED should get through the pilot round of funding and see just how much savings there actually is to schools that take part in the program. B

ut if the cost savings materialize the way bill sponsor Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Philadelphia, envisioned, then Shapiro and state lawmakers should be ready in the 2027 budget to increase the Solar for Schools budget.

Making it easier for schools to retain teaching positions is a better use of state money than simply throwing money into ever-increasing amounts of school aid each year.