WACF Grant Helps Bring Castlewood School Library Back to Life
December 21, 2025
As Castlewood students prepared to head home for Christmas break, a few Watertown Area Community Foundation board members were heading back to school, visiting the newly completed library circulation desk that has been serving students daily since the library reopened two weeks ago.
The Foundation awarded a $12,166.57 grant to the Castlewood School District in the spring of 2025 to help complete the library circulation desk, allowing the space to become fully functional once again. With the desk now installed and in use, the library has returned as a welcoming hub for learning, reading, and discovery.
The project is part of Castlewood’s continued recovery following the 2022 tornado that significantly damaged the school. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, the Watertown area rallied around its neighbors in Castlewood, raising more than $55,000 through the Watertown Area Community Foundation’s Area Relief Fund to support cleanup and rebuilding efforts. That outpouring of generosity reflected the strong regional commitment to helping Castlewood rebuild stronger than before.
As reconstruction progressed, rising construction costs made it difficult to complete every element of the project within the original budget. Completing the library circulation desk became a remaining need, one that the Foundation’s board recognized as essential to restoring a fully functioning library.
Education is a core focus of the Foundation’s grantmaking, and this investment will benefit approximately 350 students, along with educators and staff who rely on the library as a central learning resource.
“Education is one of the Foundation’s key priorities, and access to learning tools like a school library is absolutely essential,” said Cammie Mengwasser, Executive Director of the Watertown Area Community Foundation. “Having a fully functional library supports student learning, curiosity, and opportunity, and we’re proud to help ensure Castlewood students have that resource available to them.”
While based in Watertown, the Watertown Area Community Foundation supports communities throughout the region, working alongside neighbors to strengthen education and opportunity.
Watertown Area Community Foundation board members Dr. Jeff Danielsen and Joel Vockrodt visited the newly completed library circulation desk during a recent visit to the school. Pictured accepting the grant are Librarian Jennifer Rudebusch and Business Manager Dawn Wiersma.