Resources
Kern County
Kern County has 46 school districts, 16 charter schools and 1 county office of education. In 2022 the Kitchen Infrastructure and Training (KIT) Fund sent $18.3 million to agencies in the county, and in 2025 another $5 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.
$18.3 million
2022 allocations
$5 million
2025 grants
| Agency | Type | 2022 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arvin Union | School district | $387,114 | None listed | Priority |
| Bakersfield City | School district | $1,701,508 | $967,292 | |
| Beardsley Elementary | School district | $496,113 | $80,994 | |
| Blake Elementary | School district | None listed | None listed | |
| Buttonwillow Union Elementary | School district | $137,902 | $14,162 | |
| Caliente Union Elementary | School district | $100,000 | $2,875 | |
| Delano Joint Union High | School district | $307,055 | $122,767 | |
| Delano Union Elementary | School district | $1,244,249 | $237,506 | |
| Di Giorgio Elementary | School district | $154,161 | $11,808 | |
| Edison Elementary | School district | $192,342 | $35,991 | |
| El Tejon Unified | School district | $138,237 | $29,901 | |
| Elk Hills Elementary | School district | None listed | $9,106 | |
| Fairfax Elementary | School district | $464,943 | $121,936 | |
| Fruitvale Elementary | School district | $250,769 | $45,220 | |
| General Shafter Elementary | School district | None listed | $5,773 | |
| Greenfield Union | School district | $624,758 | $271,681 | |
| Kern High | School district | $3,901,415 | $1,177,500 | |
| Kernville Union Elementary | School district | $224,763 | $33,593 | |
| Lakeside Union | School district | None listed | None listed | |
| Lamont Elementary | School district | $593,891 | None listed | Priority |
| Linns Valley-Poso Flat Union | School district | None listed | None listed | |
| Lost Hills Union Elementary | School district | $150,024 | None listed | Priority |
| Maple Elementary | School district | None listed | None listed | |
| Maricopa Unified | School district | $125,180 | None listed | Priority |
| McFarland Unified | School district | $323,064 | None listed | Priority |
| McKittrick Elementary | School district | None listed | None listed | |
| Midway Elementary | School district | $102,081 | None listed | Priority |
| Mojave Unified | School district | None listed | $44,516 | |
| Muroc Joint Unified | School district | $242,041 | $63,287 | |
| Norris Elementary | School district | $222,402 | None listed | Priority |
| Panama-Buena Vista Union | School district | $958,112 | $773,661 | |
| Pond Union Elementary | School district | None listed | None listed | |
| Richland Union Elementary | School district | $367,475 | $61,878 | |
| Rio Bravo-Greeley Union Elementary | School district | $184,990 | $27,675 | |
| Rosedale Union Elementary | School district | $326,735 | None listed | Priority |
| Semitropic Elementary | School district | $112,147 | None listed | Priority |
| Sierra Sands Unified | School district | $529,506 | None listed | Priority |
| South Fork Union | School district | $124,341 | $11,025 | |
| Southern Kern Unified | School district | $310,424 | $127,919 | |
| Standard Elementary | School district | $711,239 | $101,596 | |
| Taft City | School district | $427,243 | $108,931 | |
| Taft Union High | School district | $173,660 | $21,502 | |
| Tehachapi Unified | School district | $263,632 | None listed | Priority |
| Vineland Elementary | School district | $279,363 | $29,127 | |
| Wasco Union Elementary | School district | $272,084 | $116,379 | |
| Wasco Union High | School district | $187,514 | $58,640 | |
| Blue Ridge Academy | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| California Virtual Academy at Maricopa | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Cecil Avenue Math and Science Academy | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Central Academy of Arts and Technology | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Del Vista Math and Science Academy | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Grow Public Schools | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Heartland Charter | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Insight School of California | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Kern Workforce 2000 Academy | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Nueva Vista Language Academy | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Opportunities for Learning - Ridgecrest | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Peak to Peak Mountain Charter | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Ridgecrest Elementary Academy for Language, Music, and Science | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Valley Oaks Charter | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Wonderful College Prep Academy | Charter school | $460,770 | $118,122 | |
| Wonderful College Prep Academy - Lost Hills | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Kern County Office of Education | County office of education | $178,663 | $75,040 |
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.
Also in CDE's KIT files, but matching no school district, county office or charter school in CDE's directory today: agencies that serve school meals, or schools and districts that closed or changed numbers.
- Grimmway Academy (Charter): $383,087 in 2022
- Grimmway Academy (Charter): $59,997 in 2025
Gardens in Kern County
Of the 46 school districts here, Ten Strands found public evidence of a school garden in 12 and of garden-based education in 8.
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 Kern County
Member organizations in the Central Valley 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 Central Valley region
Statewide
Does your organization work with schools here? Add it to the coalition.