The Department of Defense, Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, today awarded Altus Public Schools a $49,211,667 grant as the federal share of a larger $61,522,311 project to construct the new L. Mendel Rivers Elementary School at Altus Air Force Base in Altus, Oklahoma.
This project will address facility capacity and condition deficiencies that placed L. Mendel Rivers Elementary School at 55th on the 2019 Deputy Secretary of Defense "Public Schools on Military Installations Priority List" (Priority List). Upon completion, 600 pre-kindergarten through fourth-grade students will be supported through the project.
Funding for this grant is provided under the Department's Public Schools on Military Installations Program. In making these funds available, the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation must give priority consideration to military installations that have schools with the most serious capacity and facility condition deficiencies, as determined by the Priority List.
A multi-disciplined Federal Evaluation Team, with representatives from the Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force, Army, Navy, and the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation reviewed the school project to ensure the award appropriately addresses the noted capacity and facility condition deficiencies.
In correcting the identified facility condition and capacity issues at the L. Mendel Rivers Elementary School, this grant keeps faith with service members, improves the quality of education for defense-connected students, aids in the recruitment and retention of vital skills at Altus Air Force Base, and enhances partnerships between the community and the installation.