The Orcas School District has been awarded $68,584 to upgrade or replace its fire alarm systems through an Urgent Repair Grant program created by the state legislature.

“This is a great program,” said Randy Dorn, the state superintendent of public instruction, whose office administers the program. “It gives the state a chance to give quick help to districts that need minor but critical repairs, such as fire sprinkler systems and roofs and water systems.”

Sixty-two school districts received a total of $5 million in grants to fund 73 capital construction work projects considered “immediate needs.”

The Urgent Repair Grant program is solely for nonrecurring costs associated with necessary school facility repairs and renovations related to unforeseen health and safety needs.

The Orcas School District’s second request, for $19,000 to replace the water heater in the old gym, was not granted.

OSPI communications manager Nathan Olson said the office used a rigorous competitive selection process to evaluate and prioritize requests from 108 school district applications seeking more than $12 million in funding. Factors included the urgency of each project and the financial condition of each district.

“Orcas Island identified a 30-year-old alarm notification system as an immediate health and safety issue,” said Olson. “The district stated that the system did not meet local health and safety codes.”

The state has 295 public school districts and nine educational service districts, encompassing more than one million students.

“The data provided by the applicants provides excellent information for future budgetary considerations,” Olson added.

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is the primary agency responsible to oversee public K-12 education in the state.

A full list of grant recipients is online at: http://www.k12.wa.us/Communications/PressReleases2011/UrgentRepariGrants.pdf.