There are few instances in the literature on urban school reform that have closely studied specific school buildings to describe the grant resource appropriation process. This study attempts to fill that gap by developing case studies of two middle schools with divergent profiles in resource utilization through micro-ethnographies. One school exhibited optimal engagement with opportunities made available through a large federally funded grant, whereas the second school failed to do the same through this initiative. We investigated how the unique features of these schools and key individuals within them intersected with the structure of the grant program to shape the nature of school engagement. These two case study narratives illuminate the range of factors that might be implicated in the implementation of school reform initiatives, particularly in urban settings. (Contains 2 notes.)