Resources
Imperial County
Imperial County has 16 school districts, 3 charter schools and 1 county office of education. In 2022 the Kitchen Infrastructure and Training (KIT) Fund sent $4.6 million to agencies in the county, and in 2025 another $1.1 million.
Every agency's KIT money
The California Department of Education (CDE) gave the 2022 round by formula to agencies that sponsor the federal school meal programs. The 2025 round was a competitive grant. Hands-on food education in school gardens is an allowed use of the 2026 money.
$4.6 million
2022 allocations
$1.1 million
2025 grants
| Agency | Type | 2022 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brawley Elementary | School district | $559,555 | $53,606 | |
| Brawley Union High | School district | $173,533 | $102,227 | |
| Calexico Unified | School district | $510,532 | $331,848 | |
| Calipatria Unified | School district | $279,306 | $49,126 | |
| Central Union High | School district | $272,715 | $146,154 | |
| El Centro Elementary | School district | $475,130 | None listed | Priority |
| Heber Elementary | School district | $351,370 | $51,388 | |
| Holtville Unified | School district | $207,206 | $63,126 | |
| Imperial Unified | School district | $541,654 | $206,421 | |
| Magnolia Union Elementary | School district | $110,900 | $7,165 | |
| McCabe Union Elementary | School district | $241,004 | $46,427 | |
| Meadows Union | School district | $158,170 | $14,888 | |
| Mulberry Elementary | School district | $109,543 | None listed | Priority |
| San Pasqual Valley Unified | School district | $136,910 | None listed | Priority |
| Seeley Union Elementary | School district | $130,140 | $19,224 | |
| Westmorland Union Elementary | School district | $172,759 | $15,018 | |
| Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences | Charter school | $130,122 | None listed | Priority |
| Imperial Pathways Charter | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Imperial Valley Home School Academy | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Imperial County Office of Education | County office of education | None listed | None listed |
2022 amounts as of March 29, 2024; 2025 amounts as of March 11, 2026.
Priority: on CDE's 2022 allocations and not on its 2025 grant list. The 2026 law (Education Code 49507) gives these agencies first priority in 2026.
A charter school that reorganized since a round may be listed under an older charter number.
Gardens in Imperial County
Of the 16 school districts here, Ten Strands found public evidence of a school garden in 3 and of garden-based education in 2.
From Ten Strands' statewide district dataset, as of September 29, 2026. Ten Strands looks for public evidence, so a missing item may mean the district has not said so publicly.
School garden data
The statewide findings, the method and the validation form.
Fix your district's data
Tell Ten Strands what your district has, so the next analysis counts it.
Ten Strands' district dataset
The Data Initiative for Environmental and Climate Action in California's TK-12 Schools: some ninety indicators for every district, free to download.
Coalition members near Imperial County
Member organizations in the San Diego region, then the ones that work statewide. Not sure which one fits? Write to us at hello@caschoolgardens.org and we'll introduce you.
In the San Diego region
Statewide
Does your organization work with schools here? Add it to the coalition.