State government and military officials broke ground Monday at Hale Kula Elementary campus at Schofield Barracks where a planned $33 million renovation project for the 54-year-old school is now underway.
The Department of Defense in March awarded the school a $26.6 million grant as part of a $250 million effort to upgrade public schools on military bases nationwide. The state Department of Education is providing $6.6 million.
Hale Kula’s facilities ranked ninth worst among the 160 schools the Defense Department studied in 2011. Schools were rated on their physical condition and capacity to accommodate students. The 12 worst-rated schools were invited to apply for the federal grants.
Principal Jan Iwase said crowding is a major concern at Hale Kula, which serves about 1,000 students, 98 percent of whom are military dependents. She said there have been no upgrades or buildings added to the school since it was built in 1959.
Plans call for a combination of renovations and new construction. The school will get a new library-media center, student center, cafeteria, two-story classroom building and additional classrooms.
"For a project of this size, it’ll ostensibly be a new school," said Raymond L’Heureux, the DOE’s assistant superintendent overseeing school facilities. He said construction is expected to take 14 to 18 months.
Schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi added, "Our celebration is far more than a simple groundbreaking. It’s really a symbol of the partnership between the military and the Department of Education in the state of Hawaii with a real dedication and focus on educating our students, our future."
Gov. Neil Abercrombie said investing in such projects helps improve the quality of life for military families.
"The central focus of today’s event is that there was a recognition by the Department of Defense and by the Congress of the United States that in order to sustain and support the quality of life necessary to retain families in the U.S. military, we had to give physical support as well at the school level," Abercrombie said at a groundbreaking ceremony.
U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the multimillion-dollar project will improve students’ learning environment, while Army Brig. Gen. Pete Johnson described the project as honoring the American taxpayer by investing in children and their futures.
"It warms my heart as a soldier and a parent to see the substantial investment at Hale Kula," said Johnson, whose son attends the school. He is deputy commanding general for operations at the 25th Infantry Division.
Matayoshi said the campus is often one of the first places military families visit when arriving on base.
"This initiative will enhance the aloha spirit as they are welcomed to their new school," she said.
