Kamiak Elementary honored as 2024–25 Washington ESEA Distinguished School

The Pullman Public Schools board on March 26 heard a presentation celebrating Kamiak Elementary’s recognition as a 2024–25 Washington ESEA Distinguished School and a brief student program highlighting classroom supports that staff said contributed to the award.

The nomination and award recognize Title I schools under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). "ESEA" and the Title I designation identify federally funded programs that support schoolwide academic efforts, school officials said. Kamiak was recognized in the category of exceptional student performance and academic growth and received a $15,000 grant tied to the award, Principal Hecker said.

Principal Hecker told the board the school will use the grant for professional development and targeted supports. "With the award comes a grant, and so we get a $15,000 grant, and we've met with our guiding coalition about how we want to use these funds," Hecker said. She described sending teachers to conferences on professional learning communities and response-to-intervention work and said the funds would be used to support student learning and teacher professional development.

Teachers and parents were credited in the presentation for helping Kamiak maintain collaborative teams and for taking advantage of the district's late-start Mondays, which staff said provide embedded time for team planning. Katie Bridges, identified in the presentation as the Kamiak PTA president, was also named as part of the school-family partnership the presenters thanked.

The board heard brief remarks from a group of fifth graders about what makes Kamiak distinctive. "One thing that I feel really is really special about Kamiak is the HICAP program, which has helped me exceed as a student," said Mukhtar Jalo, a fifth grader at Kamiak Elementary, describing the school’s higher-capability enrichment supports. Other students praised teachers by name and highlighted the sense of community, school activities such as a glow party, and library resources.

School leaders said Kamiak’s recognition reflects ongoing initiatives including targeted professional development, collaborative teaching, and personalized student supports. Hecker noted the award criteria include student performance and academic growth, closing achievement gaps between student groups, and serving special populations. The board did not take any action related to the award; the presentation was informational.

Kamiak is one of the district’s Title I schools; Jefferson Elementary was referenced as another district Title I school in the presentation.