More than $34 million awarded for new Holloman Elementary School
SANTA FE - Holloman Air Force Base is getting a new elementary school.
State Sen. Bill Burt, R-Alamogordo, announced Friday that Holloman has been awarded $34 million to build a new elementary school to replace the existing facility on base.
“The new elementary will be a shining star for the entire Alamogordo community and its students,” Burt said in a news release. “It will have the most modern amenities, latest equipment and current computer conductivity to ensure our children have the latest and greatest. I couldn’t be more pleased for the families whose children attend Holloman elementary.”
The Public School Capital Outlay Council voted to award the $34,207,757 at its Sept. 19 meeting in Santa Fe.
The money was awarded to demolish the existing school and for the planning, design and construction of a new kindergarten through fifth grade school for 500 students on the same site.
The funding from the Public School Capital Outlay fund, made up of local and state school district monies, won’t all be needed if the project qualifies for Department of Defense federal matching dollars. If Holloman elementary is eligible for federal matching dollars, 80 percent of the costs would be funded by DOD and 20 percent would be split between the local school district and the state.
Burt noted that the U.S. military has made it clear it expects school facilities where it has installations, such as Holloman Air Force Base, to be top notch and that the education be superior.
“Holloman kids are our kids. We want the best for all of our students,” Burt said. “With this latest news, we are well on our way to satisfying the military and its expectations of us. Holloman AFB has been our great neighbor for over a half a century, and doing all we can to keep our relationship strong is paramount. Our students and our future will benefit for all of the great things that are now happening in our community."
Burt said he,state Sen. Ron Griggs, R-Alamogordo and state Rep. Yvette Herrell, R-Alamogordo, were all instrumental in helping to secure the state funding for the new facility.
“It is more than a new school, it is a symbol that we are doing all we can to ensure our lasting relationship with the military in Alamogordo," Griggs said in the news release. "The military families who give and sacrifice so much in the defense of our country, deserve to receive some piece of mind that while they are doing their work for our nation, New Mexico is doing what it can to help their families, to help their children receive a solid education. It is rewarding to be able to give back to Holloman for all they do for the Alamogordo community and for the entire state. A modern facility for their students and for all of our kiddos means a bright future for everyone.”
Holloman Elementary School is open to military families and others who are associated with the base on a regular basis.
“The school provides Holloman the opportunity to meet the quality education standards needed by Alamogordo public schools and the Department of Defense,” Herrell said. “I am very excited about getting the project done for the communities of Alamogordo and Holloman.”
The earliest construction could begin is January 2020 after the planning and design phase is completed and after it is determined whether the project is eligible for the federal match. The DOD would not reimburse any state funding, so, it would be prudent to wait for the DOD decision, Burt said.
“It is in everyone’s interest to get federal funding for the project,” he said.
The cost of the first phase of the project, planning and design, is more than $3 million.
It has not been determined if that phase will wait for potential federal funding.