The Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District finalized a $33 million financing package with Banc of America Public Capital Corp at a fixed 4.373% interest rate to fund a district-wide energy transformation project. The initiative, developed in partnership with OpTerra Energy Services, includes the installation of 3.5 MW of solar PV capacity across 12 school sites, primarily on parking lot canopies, alongside comprehensive energy efficiency retrofits including LED lighting upgrades, high-efficiency HVAC replacements, and advanced irrigation controls. The project is projected to deliver $48 million in cost savings over 20 years while serving as an educational tool for 8,600 students through real-time energy data integration into STEM curricula. The financing structure avoided tax increases for local residents through a lease-purchase agreement, with interconnection secured under NEM 2.0 rules to maximize solar export compensation before transitioning to the Net Billing Tariff. Future phases will add battery energy storage systems to store excess solar generation for evening peak usage and backup power, supported by a grant from So Cal West Coast Electric.