After years of heatless heaters, non-cooling air-conditioners, and lightless lights, warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer will soon be thoroughly enjoyed by students and faculty alike.

Four years ago, Richard Caram, former principal of Harding, and Steve Jech, former president of the Governance Boar, applied for a Federal Stimulus Grant that would improve the energy efficiency of the school. After being awarded the grant four years ago, Harding was put on a waiting list. Slowly but surely Harding moved up the list, and last fall it was confirmed by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce that the project would begin next year.

“The grant could not have come at a better time,” Carole Kelley said. “The lights are so old that you can’t even buy new bulbs next year.”

The grant consists of a budget of $1.825 million dollars and the school has from October 1 through March 1 to spend it all. On the list of improvements, are new energy efficient heat pump, chiller, lighting, historically accurate windows and doors, as well as a Wi-Fi system that will connect the control panel to the heat pump and chiller.

“I think it’s going to be wonderful,” Katherine Ferguson said. “My first year here we had no heat and I was teaching in gloves and a heavy coat.”

The project has already begun and completion is scheduled to be March 1, 2012.