Hirono Breaks Ground on New Mokapu Elementary School at Marine Corps Base Hawaii

HONOLULU, HI – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Mokapu Elementary School at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe. Once completed, the new school will have the capacity to serve nearly 1,000 students on base and will replace the current dated campus. The project is made possible by $96 million in federal funding through the Department of Defense’s Public Schools on Military Installations (PSMI) program.

“As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I’m focused on supporting not only our servicemembers, but their families as well,” said Senator Hirono. “I’ve consistently championed the Department of Defense’s PSMI program, which has delivered nearly $200 million for schools in Hawaii, including nearly $100 million for Mokapu Elementary. This new campus will serve nearly one-thousand students here at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, creating a better learning environment for students while also addressing noise and overcrowding issues at Mokapu.”

Established in 2011, the PSMI program provides funding to construct, renovate, repair, or expand public schools located on military installations in order to increase capacity and improve facility quality. To date, the program has provided nearly $200 million for construction and renovation projects at schools in Hawaii, including $26.5 million for the Daniel K. Inouye Elementary (formerly Hale Kula) and $70 million for Solomon Elementary at Schofield Barracks Army Base. As a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Hirono has consistently supported the PSMI program through the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Photos and video of Senator Hirono at the groundbreaking are available here

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