Middleton board hears overview of $1M-plus United Way grant for community schools
January 13, 2026 | Middleton District, School Districts, Idaho
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Missus Watkins, the district’s community-school coordinator, told the Middleton School District board the district received a United Way full-service community school grant that will deliver just over $1 million to Middleton across five years to support two site locations.
The grant, Missus Watkins said, covers salaries for full-time site coordinators ($65,000 per site in year one, with a 3% increase planned in later years), pipeline-services funds ($40,000 in early years, tapering to smaller amounts in later years) and $75,000 per site for out-of-school-time programming such as academic support, culinary classes and summer intervention. She said the grant does not cover basic operating costs.
Why it matters: the funds are intended to remove barriers to student success by supporting whole-child services, improving attendance and providing on-site clinical counseling and family supports. Missus Watkins reported growth in services since funding began: closet visits rose from 64 last year to 191 year-to-date; backpack program recipients increased from 47 to 64; Thanksgiving and Christmas referral counts also rose.
Missus Watkins described services already in place: a district clothing/closet program operated in partnership with local churches, an upcoming Idaho Food Bank school-based pantry, a diaper bank (serving 79 visits so far this year), monthly vision screenings tied to vouchers for free eye care through Little Peeps, and on-site clinical counselors for secondary students. She said the district provided more than $147,000 in goods and cash donations in 2024–25 and nearly $92,000 so far this year (values recorded at thrift-store rates).
Trustees asked about sustainability once grant funding declines; Missus Watkins said the district must expand partner and donor support and build capacity so services continue when the grant tapers. She asked trustees to include community-school site tours on upcoming district school visits so board members can see program operations firsthand.
The board received the presentation and offered praise for increased family engagement; no formal action was required.
The grant, Missus Watkins said, covers salaries for full-time site coordinators ($65,000 per site in year one, with a 3% increase planned in later years), pipeline-services funds ($40,000 in early years, tapering to smaller amounts in later years) and $75,000 per site for out-of-school-time programming such as academic support, culinary classes and summer intervention. She said the grant does not cover basic operating costs.
Why it matters: the funds are intended to remove barriers to student success by supporting whole-child services, improving attendance and providing on-site clinical counseling and family supports. Missus Watkins reported growth in services since funding began: closet visits rose from 64 last year to 191 year-to-date; backpack program recipients increased from 47 to 64; Thanksgiving and Christmas referral counts also rose.
Missus Watkins described services already in place: a district clothing/closet program operated in partnership with local churches, an upcoming Idaho Food Bank school-based pantry, a diaper bank (serving 79 visits so far this year), monthly vision screenings tied to vouchers for free eye care through Little Peeps, and on-site clinical counselors for secondary students. She said the district provided more than $147,000 in goods and cash donations in 2024–25 and nearly $92,000 so far this year (values recorded at thrift-store rates).
Trustees asked about sustainability once grant funding declines; Missus Watkins said the district must expand partner and donor support and build capacity so services continue when the grant tapers. She asked trustees to include community-school site tours on upcoming district school visits so board members can see program operations firsthand.
The board received the presentation and offered praise for increased family engagement; no formal action was required.
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