Military-Connected Schools Construction, Modernization and Facilities Maintenance Program

The opportunity is authorized under 10 U.S.C. § 2008, which permits the Department of War (DoW) to use appropriated funds to support the construction, renovation, repair, or expansion of school facilities serving federally connected students. The goal of this opportunity is to strengthen learning conditions for military‑connected students by addressing critical infrastructure needs. Funded projects should support one or more of the following objectives: · Modernizing or renovating school facilities to improve health, safety, accessibility, environmental quality, and emergency preparedness. Projects may include upgrades to building systems, structural improvements, or the creation of safe and secure learning spaces that contribute to student success. · Enhancing academic learning conditions through facility‑based improvements, such as upgraded classrooms, modernized instructional areas, specialized learning spaces, and technology‑ready environments. The amount available through this announcement is $100M. Publication of this notice does not oblige DoWEA to award a grant to any specific project or to obligate any available funding. Applications submitted under this announcement may be considered for funding in subsequent fiscal years subject to the availability of funds. Funds must be used for educational facilities only. Any LEA that receives funds under this subsection shall use such funds for construction, as defined in section 7013(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (codified at 20 U.S.C. § 7713(3)). The term ‘‘construction’’ means the following: · The preparation of drawings and specifications for school facilities; · Erecting, building, acquiring, altering, remodeling, repairing, or extending school facilities; · Inspecting and supervising the construction of school facilities; and · Debt service for such activities. There are two funding priorities. Those priorities are as follows: · Priority 1 will be given to applicants whose projects demonstrate an emergency need. Emergency needs may include addressing facility conditions that pose immediate health or safety risks, such as structural failure, significant roof leaks that threaten building integrity, inoperable HVAC systems that create unsafe temperatures, or environmental hazards such as mold, water intrusion, or failing electrical systems that jeopardize student...

The local education agency (LEA) applies for this funding opportunity on behalf of their specific target schools. The following eligibility requirements apply: • LEA must be eligible to receive U.S. Department of Education Impact Aid Basic Support Payments under Section 7003(b). Under this eligibility, an LEA must educate at least 400 federally connected children in average daily attendance, or the federally connected children must make up at least 3 percent of the LEA’s total average daily attendance; and, • Target schools for this opportunity must have 15 percent or more military connected student enrollment at the time of application. Under this announcement, military-connected students are defined as the children of members of the uniformed services and children whose parents work on Federal property. This enrollment must be verifiable through school records and/or military student identifier sources.

The selection of proposals are based on five criteria. They were weighted in the following order: implementation plan, evaluation plan, needs assessment, goals/outcomes, and budget/sustainabilty. Additionally, the funding decisions are based on the following specific criteria: Evaluation of risks posed by applicant to include history of performance and ability to effectively implement requirements; Application scores, as determined by peer reviewers; and the availability of Federal funds.

Fiscal year 2018: For FY18 and FY19 all grant funded projects have a period of performance of approximately 54-months and are aimed to equip military-connected school districts with College and Career Ready resources necessary to successfully build and/or expand their Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) programming. I have also attached a spreadsheet of all of our funded projects to date to include their specific amount and project abstract. The FY20 grant program focus will most likely continue to prioritize STEM as directed by the SECDEF. Fiscal year 2021: High school students in Kittery School District are part of a unique program that has supported social-emotional learning and STEM efforts during the COVID environment. The Wood Island Life Saving Station Association (WILSSA) in Kittery, Maine, strives to preserve the century-old Kittery site previously manned by predecessors of our modern-day Coast Guard. As part of educational efforts to raise awareness of the heroic surfmen of the old US Life Saving Service, WILSSA is partnering with Traip Academy, the town�s public high school, to create a unique boatbuilding class. More than a dozen Traip students are not...