SENATOR MAZIE K. HIRONO TOURS SCHOOL AT SCHOFIELD BARRACKS RECENTLY AWARDED $26 MILLION FROM DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, MEETS EDUCATORS

Honolulu – Senator Mazie K. Hirono visited Hale Kula Elementary School, which recently was awarded a $26.6 million federal grant from the Department of Defense for facility improvements to address overcrowding. Hale Kula, a public school located on Oahu’s Schofield Barracks Army Installation, serves a student population comprised of 98% military dependent children.

“It was a pleasure to meet the dedicated educators at Hale Kula Elementary who are making a difference for Hawaii’s military families,” Hirono remarked after the visit. “We must never forget that when mothers and fathers serve in the military, their children serve too. These keiki deserve facilities that address their needs, and I was able to tour sites of Hale Kula’s planned expansion and improvements. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will continue to stress to the Department of Defense the importance of supporting public schools on military bases.”

During the visit, Senator Hirono sat down with administrators, educators and parents. She also toured areas of the facility that will be renovated and upgraded because of the DOD grant. The renovations include a new library and media center, a state-of-the-art ten classroom building and a new administration building.

“It was so nice to have Senator Hirono visit our school and allow us to share some of the things we’re doing at Hale Kula Elementary. She was a member of Congress when they made that allocation of $250 million for schools and being one of the top schools to receive this funding has been a wonderful gift for our students and our families,” said Jan Iwase, Hale Kula Elementary School Principal. “We are so excited for this opportunity to renovate our school and bring it up to the 21^st century.”

Last month, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded $26.6 million in funding for the school while the Hawaii Department of Education has pledged to award the school an additional $6.6 million in matching funds. Project groundbreaking is expected to begin this summer.