Lujan Grisham announces $16.25 million grant to rebuild Wherry Elementary

  • Published
  • By Richard Ruffner
  • Press Secretary, Lujan Grisham Office
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --  U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that Wherry Elementary School will receive a $16.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense's Office of Economic Adjustment to rebuild deteriorating facilities and improve the educational experience for the approximately 500 children who attend the school.

This grant, awarded through OEA's Public Schools on Military Installations Program, will help remedy significant capacity and facility condition deficiencies that resulted in Wherry Elementary being ranked eleventh on the Deputy Secretary of Defense's "Public Schools on Military Installations Priority List."

Rep. Lujan Grisham worked closely with Col. Tom D. Miller, 377th Air Base Wing and Kirtland installation commander, and other senior Department of Defense officials to expedite the grant process and secure the much-needed funding for Wherry Elementary.

"Kirtland is pleased that Wherry Elementary School is the recipient of this Department of Defense grant, which will enhance the educational experience of the children who attend," Miller said.

"This announcement is great news for the entire Wherry Elementary community," Rep. Lujan Grisham said. "These crucial investments will help ensure that Wherry can provide its students the top-notch education that all New Mexico children deserve in facilities that enhance the learning experience. I would like to thank Colonel Miller at Kirtland Air Force Base and Albuquerque Public Schools for the tremendous support they have provided throughout this process."

OEA, in making Public Schools on Military Installations Program funds available, must give priority consideration to those schools with the most serious deficiencies, as determined by the Priority List. A multi-disciplined Federal Evaluation Team, with membership from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, the Military Services, U.S. Department of Education, and OEA reviewed the school projects to ensure the awards appropriately address the noted capacity and facility condition deficiencies.