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Columbia Gorge partners win EPA Inflation Reduction Act grant for Early Learning and Resilience Center
Summary
Board members were told that Columbia Gorge Education Service District and Columbia Gorge Community College Foundation were selected for an EPA Inflation Reduction Act award—nearly $20 million—to renovate an older school into an early learning center with solar power, EV chargers and air-filtration for climate resilience.
At the Dec. 19 North Wasco County School District 21 board meeting, Director Nelson announced that Columbia Gorge Education Service District and the Columbia Gorge Community College Foundation were selected among 105 grantees under an Environmental Protection Agency Inflation Reduction Act program to create a Columbia Gorge Early Learning and Resilience Center.
Director Nelson read project highlights saying the plan calls for renovating a 1954 school building to anchor community activities, provide high-quality early childhood education, add solar power and a grid island to maintain power during extreme events, and include two EV charging stations, a new bus stop and enhanced air filtration systems. The announcement in the meeting packet described the award as “nearly $20,000,000.”
The board packet also relayed statements attributed to Superintendent Caroline Bernal and Dr. Kenneth Lawson. The packet noted the project aims to serve over 200 children and to support Columbia Gorge Community College students with a hands-on training pipeline, including scholarships for about 120 CGCC students pursuing climate-focused fields. Dr. Lawson’s statement, as read to the board, framed the project as addressing both child-care shortages and community resilience in the face of climate change.
Directors thanked federal and state officials referenced in the announcement and noted related brownfields funding. The packet identified an additional Brownfield grant of $500,000 for asbestos abatement tied to the renovation.
Next steps discussed at the meeting included coordination among the ESD, CGCC and community partners to implement the project; no formal board action or budget appropriation for the district itself was recorded at this meeting.
