Coulee City Elementary and Garden Heights Elementary School Receive $25,000 Apple Award Construction Achievement Grants

Students to Determine How to Spend Grant

Olympia — Students in four Washington public elementary schools will decide how to spend the $25,000 that each school received through the State Board of Education for achieving the greatest gains on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). Coulee City Elementary (Coulee-Hartline School District, Grant County), Green Mountain Elementary (Green Mountain School District, Clark County), Wishkah Valley Elementary (Aberdeen School District, Grays Harbor County) and Garden Heights Elementary (Moses Lake School District, Grant County) demonstrated significant increases in the number of fourth grade students meeting the standards for mathematics, reading and writing from academic year 2002–03 to 2003–04.

The grants may be used for capital construction projects on school grounds or on other public property in the community, city or county in which the school is located. Legislation directs that students determine how to spend the money.

Principals were elated by the news that their schools were selected. Garden Heights Elementary School’s Principal Brad Smedley says that when he received news of winning a grant, “There was a little disbelief. We get a lot of sales calls, so I thought ‘What’s the catch?’” Smedley says that his students and teachers “will be just thrilled. All of our fourth graders—62—passed the reading assessment. I’m excited to see their hard work rewarded. Smedley says that he and his staff remain committed to helping students achieve to the best of their abilities. “When I look in the mirror, I see the faces of everyone one who worked so hard to reach this accomplishment.”

“These grants are a powerful incentive for students to continue their hard work,” says Warren T. Smith, Sr., State Board of Education president. “We’re grateful to the Legislature for providing such a creative incentive.”

The Apple Award Construction Achievement Grants were promoted by state Rep. Hans Dunshee, chair of the House Capital Budget Committee, and are made possible by funding provided by the state Legislature in the past session. "These students are to be commended for making such impressive gains," Dunshee says. “Usually what students get is to shave the principal’s head and have him wear a pink tutu for a day. The decision-making by the students on this and the lasting nature of the project are important for building civic connections and pride in the community. This is money well spent."

Winning schools were identified by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The State Board of Education administers the program.