More Money for On-Base Schools

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), senior member of the Military Construc- tion and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced major funding from the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA).

The funding, totaling $90,768,089, addresses capacity and facility condition deficiencies at the Greenwood ($28,566,022), Clarkmoor ($30,870,778), and Beachwood ($31,331,289) Elementary Schools, which serve the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) community. The Clover Park School District and State of Washington will match these grants with an additional $23,075,465 for a total investment of $113,843,553.  Approximately 1,550 pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students will be served by these projects. 

“When our best and our brightest put on the uniform to serve our country honorably, we make a promise to support them and their families both on and off the battlefield,” said Senator Murray. “This includes making sure their children have an adequate learning environment that promotes a positive education experience, not one that puts them in harm’s way or detracts from the curriculum. Our schools that support our military communities are not only institutions of learning, but also serve as a support system for many of our military families. That’s why I was proud to support the legislation in which this funding was included."

 “This is a great day for Joint Base Lewis-McChord and the Clover Park School District. More than 1500 South Sound students in military families from the district I have the honor to represent will have improved educational opportunities thanks to these projects. I can’t wait to see what Greenwood, Clarkmoor and Beachwood look like once the improvements are completed," Congressman Denny Heck said.

"Securing this grant would not have been possible without the hard work of Congressman Adam Smith as well as retired Congressman Norm Dicks. I am extremely appreciative of their tireless advocacy on this issue.
“This funding is the result of hard work by the Clover Park School District and many in the Washington State Congressional Delegation.  These funds are critical in making much needed rebuilding efforts for Greenwood, Clarkmoor, and Beachwood Elementary Schools.  All students in the Puget Sound region deserve access to high quality education in well maintained facilities, and I look forward to continuing to work with Congressman Denny Heck to ensure that they do,” Congressman Adam Smith said.

“Today’s announcement regarding the approval of the school construction grant will allow Clover Park School District to continue retooling the schools on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The replacement of these three elementary schools will enable our students to receive a quality education in buildings that provide for today’s educational needs and reflect our nation’s commitment to our armed services. Throughout this process, Clover Park School District has received tremendous support from our elected officials, as well as the Department of Defense.  On behalf of our students, we offer our sincere thanks,”  said Debbie LeBeau, Superintendent of the Clover Park School District.

The condition of the three schools was determined by the July 2011 Deputy Secretary of Defense “Public Schools on Military Installations Priority List” (Priority List). Funding for these awards is provided through the DoD’s Public Schools on Military Installations Program.

OEA, in making these funds available, gave priority consideration to those military installations with schools having the most serious capacity or facility condition deficiencies, as determined by the Priority List. A multi-disciplined Federal Evaluation Team, with membership from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, the Military Services, U.S. Department of Education, and OEA reviewed the school projects to ensure the awards appropriately address the noted capacity and facility condition deficiencies.