2023 Expanding Arts Access in Rural Schools Grants Announced
Over 70 Idaho rural public schools, school districts and charter schools are receiving funding to improve arts programs for their students under Governor Brad Little’s Expanding Arts Access in Rural Public Schools program.
The program makes $1 million in grant funds available annually for rural schools, districts and charters to apply for. The grants were awarded based on recommendations made by an advisory panel of arts teachers and college professors who reviewed the submitted grants.
Of the rural schools, districts and charters that submitted grant applications, 19 received an Expanding Arts Access in Rural Public Schools grant for the first time. The grants range from $15,000 to just under $2,000.
Launched in 2022, the Expanding program is administered by the Idaho State Board of Education and the Idaho Commission on the Arts and is funded by a $1 million appropriation approved by the Legislature.
2023 Awardees
| Awardee | County | Award |
| American Falls Joint SD #381 | Power | $15,000.00 |
| Basin SD #72 | Boise | $10,000.00 |
| Bear Lake County SD #33 | Bear Lake | $15,000.00 |
| Blackfoot Charter | Bingham | $14,965.99 |
| Blaine County SD #61 | Blaine | $15,000.00 |
| Boundary County SD #101 | Boundary | $14,600.00 |
| Cambridge Joint SD #432 | Washington | $15,000.00 |
| Cascade SD #422 | Valley | $15,000.00 |
| Cassia County Joint SD #151 | Cassia | $15,000.00 |
| Castleford SD #417 | Twin Falls | $14,889.08 |
| Clark County SD #161 | Clark | $15,000.00 |
| Cottonwood Joint SD #242 | Idaho | $14,931.40 |
| Council SD #13 | Adams | $15,000.00 |
| Dietrich SD #314 | Lincoln | $14,229.74 |
| Fern-Waters Public Charter School | Lemhi | $14,774.00 |
| Filer SD #413 | Twin Falls | $14,408.03 |
| Firth SD #59 | Bingham | $14,671.61 |
| Fruitland SD #373 | Payette | $15,000.00 |
| Garden Valley SD #71 | Garden Valley | $14,999.49 |
| Genesee Joint SD #282 | Latah | $15,000.00 |
| Glenns Ferry Joint SD #192 | Elmore | $9,262.55 |
| Gooding Joint SD #231 | Gooding | $15,000.00 |
| Grace Joint SD #148 | Caribou | $15,000.00 |
| Hansen SD #415 | Twin Falls | $15,000.00 |
| Heritage Academy Public Charter School | Jerome | $15,000.00 |
| Homedale Joint SD #370 | Owyhee | $13,867.77 |
| Horseshoe Bend SD #73 | Boise | $15,000.00 |
| Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind | Gooding | $7,000.00 |
| Idaho Science & Technology Charter School | Bingham | $14,997.50 |
| Jefferson County Joint SD #251 | Jefferson | $14,999.47 |
| Jerome Joint SD #261 | Jerome | $15,000.00 |
| Kamiah Joint SD #304 | Lewis | $15,000.00 |
| Kellogg Joint SD #391 | Shoshone | $14,850.00 |
| Kootenai SD #274 | Kootenai | $14,999.00 |
| Lapwai SD #341 | Nez Perce | $15,000.00 |
| Mackay SD #182 | Custer | $15,000.00 |
| Marsh Valley Joint SD #21 | Bannock | $15,000.00 |
| McCall-Donnelly Joint SD #421 | Valley | $15,000.00 |
| Meadows Valley SD #11 | Adams | $7,964.46 |
| Minidoka County Joint SD #331 | Minidoka | $15,000.00 |
| Moscow SD #281 | Latah | $15,000.00 |
| Mountain Home SD #193 | Elmore | $14,856.85 |
| Murtaugh Joint SD #418 | Twin Falls | $13,100.00 |
| New Plymouth SD #372 | Payette | $14,981.78 |
| Nezperce Joint SD #302 | Lewis | $14,536.00 |
| North Gem SD #149 | Caribou | $14,842.09 |
| North Idaho STEM Charter Academy | Kootenai | $13,775.22 |
| Oneida County SD #351 | Oneida | $15,000.00 |
| Orofino Joint SD #171 | Clearwater | $15,000.00 |
| Parma SD #137 | Canyon | $11,117.00 |
| Payette Joint SD #371 | Payette | $14,999.00 |
| Payette River Regional Technical Academy | Payette | $11,981.08 |
| Plummer-Worley Joint SD #44 | Benewah | $9,178.00 |
| Preston Joint SD #201 | Franklin | $14,998.00 |
| Richard McKenna Charter School | Elmore | $15,000.00 |
| Ririe Joint SD #252 | Jefferson | $15,000.00 |
| Salmon River Joint SD #243 | Idaho | $14,758.00 |
| Shelley SD #60 | Bingham | $15,000.00 |
| Snake River SD #52 | Bingham | $15,000.00 |
| Soda Springs Joint SD #150 | Caribou | $11,708.00 |
| South Lemhi SD #292 | Lemhi | $14,928.00 |
| Sugar-Salem Joint SD #322 | Madison | $13,629.16 |
| Swan Valley SD #92 | Bonneville | $15,000.00 |
| Syringa Mountain Charter | Hailey | $15,000.00 |
| Teton County SD #401 | Driggs | $15,000.00 |
| Treasure Valley Classical Academy | Payette | $14,831.20 |
| Troy SD #287 | Latah | $15,000.00 |
| Wallace SD #393 | Shoshone | $1,945.00 |
| Weiser SD #431 | Washington | $14,594.56 |
| Wendell SD #232 | Gooding | $14,830.97 |
| West Side Joint SD #202 | Franklin | $15,000.00 |
| Total Awards | $1,000,000.00 |