Walla Walla Catholic Schools receives $5 million for new Assumption School
By Griffin Beach on Friday, October 23rd, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – Walla Walla Catholic Schools have received a donation of more than $5 million from an anonymous local supporter to help fund the construction of the new Assumption Elementary School on the DeSales Catholic High School campus.
This is the largest single gift in the history of the Diocese of Spokane.
The donation was announced on Wednesday with students, faculty, and school leaders gathered for the ceremonial check presentation.
“We are profoundly grateful for this extraordinary gift and for the generosity of a community that believes deeply in the values of Catholic education,” said Father Jeff Lewis, president of Walla Walla Catholic Schools.
Construction of the new elementary school is underway after the Oct. 2 groundbreaking. The new building will replace the existing elementary school that opened in 1956. It allows all students, preschool through 12th grade, to be on the same campus.
Currently preschool through fifth grade are located at Assumption Catholic School on East Alder Street.
The new building will have classrooms, administrative offices, gymnasium, cafeteria and multipurpose room along with a dedicated chapel.
This project follows more than twenty years of discussion. The first phase was $3.8 in infrastructure improvements at DeSales High School that also supported the expansion of the campus. The second phase is the new elementary school building.
“With more than 90% of the total project costs funded, we can now focus our fundraising efforts on building out a first-rate campus, including playground equipment, athletic fields, landscaping, and other improvements to serve our students for generations to come,” said Tim Flood, director of advancement for Walla Walla Catholic Schools.
Construction is expected to take approximately 12 to 18 months, with much of that depending on winter weather and what work can be done during colder months.
Illustration of the new Assumption Elementary School.
