Kalispell Public Schools received a much-needed Quality Schools Facility grant to continue making improvements at Flathead High School.

The district recently was awarded $1.2 million through the Montana Department of Commerce for energy-efficient projects in Flathead High School.

This is the full amount requested, Superintendent Darlene Schottle said.

“We were very hopeful. We were high on the list, but you never know until the Legislature ended. We were very pleased,” Schottle said, noting that it makes a big difference in being able to complete priority projects at Flathead that total about $2.5 million.

Quality Schools funds are awarded through a competitive process every two years for districts to complete major repairs or improvements, deferred maintenance projects or invest in information technology infrastructure.

Funding comes from a school facility and technology special revenue account, which includes revenue from the timber harvest on common school trust lands, mineral royalties and rental income received from power site leases and state-owned navigable waterways.

Kalispell Public Schools anticipates spending a total of $3.2 million in budget-neutral energy-savings projects throughout the district.

Schottle said the district is still waiting to hear if it has been approved to borrow $1.9 million in zero-interest Qualified Zone Academy Bonds to be repaid through energy savings. Rebates between $40,000 to $85,000 also are anticipated from Flathead Electric Cooperative.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected].