Richland School District wins four‑year Inclusionary Excellence grant for three schools

Zach, a district staff member, told the Richland School Board that three district campuses were selected as pilot sites for the state’s Inclusionary Excellence program and will receive funding to model inclusive practices for other schools. “The total for between the three sites is a little over $1,000,000 for each year for the next four years,” Zach said, and described the award as a multi‑year opportunity to develop and scale inclusive programming.

Board members asked that staff return with an implementation update. Chair (speaker S1) suggested a briefing either at the end of this school year or the beginning of the next so the board could hear plans for the coming year; Zach agreed to bring that report. Trustee Rick Jansen (speaker S7) and others praised the effort as a way to support inclusion despite budget pressures.

The grant will fund a four‑year pilot at Lewis and Clark, Enterprise Middle School and Carmichael Middle School. Zach said the three sites were chosen in part because they had previously opted into a smaller, accessibility grant and had related work underway. Board members and staff discussed the need to proceed deliberately and coordinate planning; the district will contact stakeholders and schedule follow‑up briefings.

The board did not take action on the grant itself during the meeting; the item was presented as a recognition and situational update with a plan to return for additional detail on implementation and next steps.