Academy District 20 will receive $42.7 million from the U.S. Department of Defense to help rebuild and expand Douglass Valley Elementary School, the military announced on Thursday.

The cost of the project is expected to total $54.1 million, and once construction is finished, the school, located on the U.S. Air Force Academy base, will offer classes to students in prekindergarten through eighth grade.  

The school is eligible for the grant through the Department of Defense’s Public Schools on Military Installations (PSMI) program.

The program covers 80% of funding for major rebuilds or renovation projects for schools in need on military installations, with local school districts paying the remaining 20%.

“Academy District 20 is deeply grateful to the Department of War, former Representative Doug Lamborn, Representative Jeff Crank, local officials and our partners at the United States Air Force Academy for their support of this important project,” D-20 Superintendent Jinger Haberer said in a statement.

“This investment represents a commitment to education in our region and to the military-affiliated students and families we are honored to serve.”

In 2018, the Department of Defense completed an assessment of 161 public schools on military installations across the nation and prioritized the schools according to their level of deficiency, with the highest level of deficiency ranking at 1 and the lowest at 161.

According to the list, Douglass Valley ranked at 71 with a calculated capacity of 399. Once the new school is completed, its capacity will increase to 787 students, according to the military.  

“I am grateful to Secretary (Pete) Hegseth and his Department for allocating money to Academy District 20,” U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colorado Springs, said in a statement. “This initiative will ensure that our military families have access to the high-quality education opportunities that their children need to thrive.”

D-20’s Air Academy High, also located on the base, ranked at 61. The district previously secured its matching share for the PSMI program with the help of a bond passed by voters in 2024. The Douglass Valley dollars were already secured through existing district funds.

Originally set to contribute $49 million toward a $191 million rebuild, D-20 was notified that the federal match for the Air Academy High project would be capped at $120 million because of a shift in funding parameters for the program in May 2025.

D-20’s new contribution to the program was then reduced to $30 million. A district representative told The Gazette that the design work on the high school is progressing, with an anticipated proposal submission for full PSMI grant funding this fall.

According to RTA Architects, which was hired to oversee the project in 2024, the new Douglass Valley will cover 92,000 square feet and feature a learning stair, classroom pods with natural light, activity commons areas for group and independent work, and outdoor connections.

“We are proud to be a pillar of education in this community, and we look forward to the new opportunities this rebuilt school will provide,” Haberer said. “From preschool through the end of a student’s high school journey on the Air Force Academy, this project will help us continue serving students with the care, excellence and commitment they deserve.”