Big news for Altus Air Force Base as the Department of Defense dishes out a hefty $49,211,667 grant to Altus Public Schools for a fresh construction project. We're talking about a new L. Mendel Rivers Elementary School that's set to cater to 600 pre-kindergarten through fourth-grade kids. This place was crying out for an overhaul, sitting at spot 55 on the 2019 Deputy Secretary of Defense "Public Schools on Military Installations Priority List". Funds are pouring in under the Department's Public Schools on Military Installations Program, reserved for base schools that really need to seriously start to fix up their capacity and facility issues.
The total tab for the school project is $61,522,311, with the federal grant providing the bulk of that. A team with reps from the big players in the Air Force, Army, Navy, and the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation gave the green light after making sure the project hits all the right notes in addressing those deficiencies. According to the Department of Defense, this isn't just about shining up the school — it's about keeping promises to service members and making sure their kids get quality education, all while bolstering the service community in Altus.
For those uninitiated, the Priority List is sort of a who's who of military installation schools that need dire help. L. Mendel Rivers Elementary was way down there, which isn't where you want to be when they're serving up funds for upgrades. Now, thanks to this cash infusion, the school is set to leap from the bottom to top, hopeful to increase the quality of life for families stationed at the base.
