Kent Schools Foundation gives $9,000 to Kent schools

The Kent Schools Foundation has disbursed more than $9,000 to 11 schools in the Kent School District.

As part of its new grant process, the foundation, with endorsement from the school board, approved 18 grants, which were hand-delivered on Thursday, Feb. 28.

Thanks to generous donors, the grants awarded will support students in art, reading and various innovative projects.

The recipients were: Glenridge, Horizon, Jenkins Creek, Lake Youngs, Martin Sortun, Meadow Ridge, Park Orchard, and Soos Creek elementary schools; Meeker and Mill Creek middle schools, and Kentridge High School.

The nonprofit foundation strives to engage with families, educators, businesses and the broader community to fund innovative and supportive learning opportunities for students in the school district.

In the past year, the foundation said it has taken an increasingly visible role, enlarging the size of its board of directors and advancing its commitment to collaborate with district leadership. In September, the first annual auction, Shine On, raised more than $60,000. In conjunction with continued support through sponsorship and local contributors, the funds will buoy financial support that the foundation is able to offer Kent schools.

The foundation was founded in 2012 and is governed by a volunteer board of directors, who share a passion for education and a common resolve that a child’s future should not be dependent upon where they came from or their zip code. The foundation said a strong, vibrant and supportive public education is the pathway to student success and through private support, it intends to make this happen.