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TRI-CITIES -- Battelle is donating $1.2 million to help cover start-up and initial operating costs of a proposed regional public high school focused on science, technology, engineering and math.
The gift essentially clears the way for the school to open next fall, so long as the Richland, Pasco and Kennewick school boards sign off.
The boards have final say on if -- and when -- the school opens and are expected to decide at a joint meeting today in Pasco.
Senior Battelle officials announced the donation Monday afternoon.
"These are the types of projects we like to support," said Rich Rosen, corporate vice president for education and philanthropy.
It was estimated $8.2 million would be needed to launch the school and to operate it for four years. After that, it's expected to be self-sustaining.
The Battelle money represents what still had to be secured for the project to move ahead, officials said. The rest is coming from grants, community donations and public education dollars tied to student enrollment.
Officials also are counting on $800,000 for the project that's included in Gov. Chris Gregoire's proposed supplemental capital budget, which is headed to the state Legislature.
Battelle, the three school districts and Washington State University Tri-Cities have been working on the project for about two years. Columbia Basin College in Pasco more recently joined the partnership and has volunteered its former Richland campus as an initial home for the school.
The money it will take to renovate the CBC facility so it legally can house high schoolers and has enough lab space is included in the $8.2 million estimate.
"We're very, very excited (about Battelle's donation). ... We can see a path all the way through the first four years of the school," said Phil Ohl, who's leading the Washington State STEM Education Foundation.
The foundation was formed to raise money for the school and promote science, technology, engineering and math education in the state.
The foundation board voted last week to recommend that the school launch in the fall.
Rosen, who plans to be at the joint school board meeting, said it will serve not only the students who enroll but also the greater community because it will produce citizens who are more STEM literate.
It also will show students how relevant those fields are to their daily lives, he said.
The school would start with 100 freshmen and add a class each year until it's full with about 400 students.
A team of educators, scientists and other community leaders has been working for months on the curriculum, which would emphasize making connections across subjects and personalizing learning. Internships and other learning experiences outside the classroom are expected to be a significant part of the program.
Officials have emphasized the school would be open to all high schoolers in the Tri-Cities, not just those in gifted programs or who plan careers in STEM fields. The demographic makeup would be similar to that of other Tri-City public schools.
The partners announced their interest in starting the school in August 2007. At that time, Battelle pledged about $70,000 to hire a project manager.
Several other Tri-City groups also have given cash or in-kind donations. For example, using the CBC facility rent-free is valued at about $500,000. The college also is providing project and construction management and some other renovation-related work.
"This is truly representative of a community effort. It does have broad support in the community," said Mike Kluse, Battelle senior vice president and director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland.
Battelle operates the lab for the U.S. Department of Energy.
The company also has helped start STEM schools in Ohio.
The joint school board meeting is at 4:30 p.m. at the Pasco School District office, 1215 W. Lewis St.
