Kent School District

Foundations - June 2025

Foundations school building

Welcome to the second year of Foundations, an e-newsletter focused on keeping our community updated on current and past levy and bond initiatives supported by voter-approved funds. When we come together with a shared commitment as OneCommunity to educate and support our students, we continue to build on a foundation that extends beyond the classroom and strengthens the entire community--united into OneKSD.

There is a gap between what the state funds and the education Kent School District provides to students. Local levy funds make up the difference. Levy dollars support student enrichment programs not fully funded by the state, such as special education, athletics, arts, and music to name a few.

We are committed to fostering transparency and accountability in every aspect of our work, ensuring trust and open communication. Follow along very month for a new edition. 

2nd Annual Athlete of the Year Winners

Earlier this month, Kent School District (KSD) Athletics & Activities, in partnership with the Kent Reporter, celebrated the dedication and sportsmanship of our student-athletes.

Riley Gardner and Samuael Doma of Kent-Meridian (KM) were named KSD & Kent Reporter Athletes of the Year, earning the most votes in an online poll that received over 20,000 votes—doubling last year’s total.

These honors reflect the spirit of OneKSD, celebrating teamwork, inclusion, and community.

Winners

Unified Program of the Year

Carriage Crest (CC) was named the 2025 KSD Unified Program of the Year for its strong commitment to inclusion through programs like Unified PE, Lunch Buddies, LEGO Club, Badminton, Cornhole, and the “Spread the Word – Inclusion” campaign.

Nathan Quach (Kentridge) was honored as Unified Athlete of the Year, and Logan Wilson (Kentwood) as Unified Partner of the Year, for their leadership and participation in inclusive sports.

Their efforts embody the values of OneKSD.

Unified
Unified
Unified
Unified

Chasing Greatness at State Track & Field Event

Congratulations to Kentwood (KW) Track & Field for earning second place in the inaugural Inclusive Division at the WIAA State Championships.

The Unified Sprint Medley Relay team of Cindy Hernandez Hernandez, Vanessa Votisek, Kallel Davis, and Anthony Mercado set a new state record with a time of 1:52.07.

Kallel Davis became KW most decorated state athlete, medaling in all four events he competed in:

  • 1st – Unified Sprint Medley Relay

  • 4th – Unified 4x100M

  • 6th – Unified 100M

  • 8th – Unified Shot Put

Kent-Meridian’s (KM) Marcella Jones claimed two state titles (100M, 300 Hurdles) and placed in the top two in all four events, helping KM secure fourth place in the 3A Girls Division—joined by Candice Le’s second place in the Pole Vault.

These accomplishments reflect the power of inclusion, determination, and the spirit of OneKSD.

Kent
Kent
Kent
Kent

Technology Operations & Support Services

Incident IQ visits Kent School District (KSD)

The Technology team was honored to host team members from Incident IQ during a recent visit focused on deepening collaboration and supporting district success. The team gained hands-on insight into KSD’s daily use of their platform—assisting with high school device collections, collaborating with Customer Service, and meeting with Systems Development Engineering to review workflows.

This visit highlighted the commitment of the district and Incident IQ to continuous improvement and strong partnerships. Their engagement provided valuable feedback to enhance the platform, and KSD looks forward to continued collaboration that supports students, staff, and the broader school community.

IQ

Collect, Clean, and Prepare

Our Technology team is actively collecting student devices districtwide, which is an essential step in ensuring reliable access to technology for the school-year ahead.

The team is gathering Surface tablets, laptops, keyboards, cases, chargers, and stylus pens, carefully inventorying and assessing each item for needed repairs or updates. This thorough process helps extend the life of our devices and supports a smooth start to teaching and learning in the fall.

Over the coming weeks, the team will be cleaning, repairing, re-imaging, and updating software to prepare every device for redeployment. Thanks to their behind-the-scenes work, students and staff will return to fully refreshed and ready-to-use technology in the new school year.

Please check Replacement Capital Projects & Technology Levy for technology levy-funded projects.

Tech
Tech
Tech

Sharing Space

The Information Technology Support Services team is currently using space in the Distribution Center to etch new laptops before they are distributed. Over 1,400 laptops have been received and etched with more being completed every day.

space
space

Technology Support Fun Facts

Did you know there are:

  • 5,141 staff accounts

  • 26,114 student accounts

  • 4,173 security groups

identity

Capital Projects

Our Capital Projects team is dedicated to delivering exceptional services benefiting all stakeholders by creating safe and inclusive teaching and learning environments for students and staff

Curb Repairs Completed at Daniel Elementary (DE)

As part of the 2018 Levy, we completed curb repairs at DE. The project involved removing and replacing damaged extruded curbs, followed by repainting once the new curbs had dried and cured.

Curb
Curb

Meridian Middle School (MM) North & South Parking Lot Improvements

parking
parking

As part of the 2018 Levy projects, we completed repaving work on both the north and south parking lots at MM. The north lot improvements included grinding the pavement down to the base, applying an asphalt overlay, and new striping. For the south lot, the work involved selective demolition, base grinding, asphalt overlay, sealcoating, and striping.

Transportation

ESD 121 Regional Bus Rodeo Winners 

Rodeo

Elizabeth Berninger and Sheri Peterson competed in the Educational Service District 121 Regional Bus Rodeo on May 31, 2025, earning first place in the Special Needs division. They will advance to the state competition in Kennewick on June 29, 2025. Congratulations to Elizabeth and Sheri!

Facilities Services

Soos Creek Elementary (SC)

Our Facilities team addressed a student safety concern by painting the asphalt around the playground matting. This simple yet thoughtful solution helps all students, especially those who are color blind, to easily see the transition between surfaces.

playground

River Ridge Elementary (RR)

Parking
Parking

Limited parking created challenges due to increased programming at the school. The team identified space behind a playground fence for additional parking. To maintain student safety, they installed a new fence before adding the parking spots—now fully in use.

Kentridge High School (KR)

The team replaced 32 vent hoods on the roof of F building to prevent birds from entering attic spaces. This resolves an ongoing facilities issue.

Vent
Kent School District Equity Excellence Community

Kent School District Bonds and Levies