TUCSON, Ariz. — The Pentagon has awarded a $41.1 million grant to the Tucson Unified School District to help construct a new elementary and middle school at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, addressing aging facilities and improving educational opportunities for children of military families.
The federal grant will cover approximately 76% of the $54 million project to replace Frank Borman K-8 School, which serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade.
The new facility is expected to accommodate 604 students annually, providing updated classrooms and educational infrastructure for military-connected families stationed at the Arizona installation.
The project is being funded through the Department of War’s Public Schools on Military Installations Program, which prioritizes schools facing significant overcrowding, deteriorating buildings and other facility deficiencies.
Frank Borman K-8 School was ranked 46th on the department’s 2019 priority list identifying public schools on military installations with the most serious infrastructure needs.
The grant is intended to correct the school’s capacity and building deficiencies while strengthening educational services available to military families.
A federal evaluation team comprising representatives from the Air Force, Army, Navy and the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation reviewed the project before the funding award was approved.
The evaluation focused on ensuring that the proposed construction would address deficiencies identified in the federal priority assessment.
Military officials consider access to quality education an important factor in recruiting and retaining service members, particularly those assigned to installations with large populations of military families.
At Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the investment is expected to improve educational facilities while supporting the installation’s broader personnel and readiness objectives.
The project also represents a federal-local partnership, with the Pentagon providing the majority of construction funding and approximately $12.9 million coming from other sources.
The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation administers the military school infrastructure program as part of its efforts to strengthen installations and the communities surrounding them.
The office works with state and local governments to address infrastructure needs that can affect military operations, personnel retention and the quality of life for service members and their families.
The new Frank Borman school is intended to provide modern educational facilities while reducing the long-term maintenance and capacity challenges associated with the existing building.
The Department of War said the investment will improve educational opportunities for military-connected students and strengthen cooperation between Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and the Tucson community.