Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri, has announced a $10 million grant from the Earl E. and Myrtle E. Walker Foundation toward construction of a competitive swimming pool facility.

Construction on the Walker Natatorium, as the facility will be known, will begin this summer and is scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2015-16 school year. In addition to providing the school's water polo, swimming, and diving teams with a place to train and compete, the new facility will make it possible for water safety to be added to the school's physical education curriculum.

At least three generations of Walkers have attended KHS, and the St. Louis-based foundation has been a longtime supporter of the school. In 1993, it donated funds for a commons area that encompasses the school's theater lobby and an orchestra pit, and in 2007 it initiated a campaign in support of new science facilities.

"We are beyond grateful for this grant to our students," said Kirkwood superintendent of schools Dr. Tom Williams. "The Walker Foundation has continuously led fundraising efforts for students of Kirkwood High School, and this is another example of their efforts to support the children of our community."