Niles Community Schools anticipates big savings in electrical costs as it replaces low-efficient lighting with high-efficiency lighting at several of its buildings this calendar year.

Tom Skarbek, finance director, said the school would receive an energy credit of around $30,000 for switching lighting at Ballard Elementary, Howard Elementary, Niles High School and Ring Lardner Middle School. The district’s electric bill should also decrease, Skarbek added.

On Monday, the Niles school board accepted the low bid of $396,245 from Mead & White for the labor portion of the project. Materials will be purchased from All Phase for $265,755. The board accepted the materials bid in September.

The project should be finished by Dec. 31, Skarbek said.

“We have to have this done by the end of the year to get the majority of the credit,” he said.

The district is paying for the project with a Qualified Zoning Administration Bond. No money from the district’s general fund is being used.

Skarbek said other lighting in other buildings in the district would be replaced at a future date.