MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — A new elementary school will be built on Mountain Home Air Force Base after the district secured the final $6.5 million needed for the project.
The Mountain Home School District received $6,409,000 through Community Project Funding requested by Congressman Mike Simpson, completing nearly five years of efforts to fund the new Stephensen Elementary School.
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"I'm still smiling from it because I didn't think the day was ever gonna come where we got that approval," said James Gilbert, superintendent of Mountain Home School District.
The Department of Defense declared the current school a top priority for replacement in 2015. Through a federal grant for public schools on military installations, the district received 80% of the funding, but the final 20% remained out of reach until now.
"We don't have the ability to just shell out $6.5 million for a project, and so we're very fortunate that Congressman Simpson's office reached out to us," Gilbert said.
Simpson said the school clearly needed replacement and had been on the Department of Defense's list for years.
"Frankly, I don't have any problem with using Idaho taxpayer dollars and sending them back to Idaho so that they can be used to address the needs in Idaho," Simpson said.
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The current Stephensen Elementary, built in the 1960s, serves kindergarten through fourth grade. The new school will expand to serve kindergarten through sixth grade and feature modernized heating, cooling, and lighting systems.
Military parent Maddie Jinks, whose son is a first grader at the school, said she was excited about the news.
"I was absolutely stoked. I think the school is so amazing. My son has blossomed here so much the last year and a half, and I know that getting some upgrades is only going to improve that," Jinks said.
The new school aims to support military families by providing quality education while parents serve.
"Our military is built on the strong individuals that join our military, and that means supporting not just them, but their families also," Simpson said.
"As a mom in the military, I need to know that my son is taken care of, has what he needs, has the resources and support he needs, and is able to learn so that I can go do what I do in the Air Force," Jinks said.
Construction is expected to begin early next fall.
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