Kelso High School Spanish teacher JillaneBaros shares how grants from the Kelso Public Schools Foundation have expandedliteracy, language learning, and college opportunities for students. Foundationsupport has helped build classroom libraries with Spanish leveled readers,graphic novels, and culturally relevant novels; increased access to AP Spanishtesting and the Seal of Biliteracy; and strengthened both Heritage Spanish andsecond-language programs. The letter also highlights a partnership with Lower ColumbiaCollege that enabled 22 Latino students to visit campus, overcome registrationbarriers, and earn more than 215 college credits in a single day—credits valuedat $32,250. These achievements reflect years of sustained investment instudents and resources that will continue serving future classes. Read the fullletter to see the impact of these grants in the teacher’s own words.
Dear Kelso Public Schools Foundation,
I want to express my deepest gratitudefor your support of Kelso Students, particularly the grants that you provideour Spanish program. I began working for Kelso School District in 2018. Thatyear, you awarded me the first grant I wrote to stock our classroom and schoollibraries with Spanish leveled readers, providing literacy access for studentswho were learning Spanish. In 2023, I took over the Heritage Spanish programfor students with Spanish-speaking backgrounds. That year, you awarded mysecond grant to purchase graphic novels in Spanish specifically to support ourHeritage students who wanted to improve their Spanish literacy, but neededmaterials that met their cognitive and reading needs. You also provided a classset of novels appropriate for my AP students to study culturally significanttopics for today’s Latin American communities. Together, these have been a hugehit with my students; I have attached a photo from last Friday of our firstfree reading of the 2026-2027 school year in which my Spanish-speakers classexcitedly selected both leveled readers and graphic novels purchased from thesefunds to begin their Spanish reading journeys.
In 2024, many students (especially myHeritage Spanish students) needed expanded access to testing opportunities.This need has taken on different forms of the years; At first, Heritagestudents wanted to attempt the AP Spanish test and accessed the fees to earncollege credits this route. Then, as our program grew to encourage bothHeritage as well as Second-Language Spanish students (the students who beganstudying Spanish as high schoolers) to earn the Seal of Biliteracy, we used thefunds to increase access to earning this recognition of bilingualism – whichLower Columbia College now also uses to award 10 college credits. Every year,we have set a record for the number of Seals awarded. Last year, we awarded 28Seals to graduating Spanish-speaking students, including both Heritage speakersas well as many who learned Spanish as a second language in KHS classrooms.Each in their own way, the accomplishments our Heritage and Second-Languagestudents are each huge sources of pride for our KHS language program.
Last year, we partnered with LCC touse KPSF funds and available LCC grants to take 22 Latino students to tour LCCcampus and earn over 215 college credits in a single day! (there are some verycool numbers for that day shared below). Please see the attached photos of thefield trip students; even though this event was funded with the money from our2025-2026 grants, their journeys and success were supported by each of theprior grants that it took to provide a quality education and reach that moment.Moreover, many other students who did not attend the field trip benefitted fromthose resources and will continue to do so for years to come! We cannot wait touse our Spring 2026 grant to take the next set of students to LCC this year andour administrators (LCC and KHS are already working on a plan to make it aneven bigger success.
Thank you again for your support.Together, we make great things happen!
Sincerely,
Jillane Baros
Spanish Teacher
Kelso High School
2026 LCC Field trip breakdown:
And of course the dollars…
