Every outside dollar Kalama secures helps address important school needs and allows local resources to go further for students.
During Year 1 of the Strategic Plan, Kalama School District secured more than $280,000 in outside grant funding to support facility improvements, energy planning, and cybersecurity. These funds allow the district to take on projects that might otherwise compete with local operating dollars allocated for student programs and services.
The largest award, a $175,000 Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools grant, will help replace drinking fountains, install new kitchen sinks and purchase additional kitchen equipment. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction awarded the grant.
A $78,187 Clean Buildings grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce will support energy management and operations planning across all three schools. This work will help the district better understand how its buildings operate and plan responsibly for future facility needs.
Kalama also received a $30,000 cybersecurity grant from the Washington Military Department. The funding will support a review of the district’s network and cybersecurity systems to help identify needs, prioritize improvements and strengthen technology security.
Together, these grants reflect the Strategic Plan’s Integrity in Action guiding principle, which emphasizes resourcefulness, responsible financial stewardship and transparency. They also help Kalama address immediate facility and technology priorities while preserving local resources for students, staff and classrooms.
As the district enters Year 2, pursuing outside funding will remain one way Kalama can support improvements, plan ahead and make the most of the resources entrusted to its schools.