Major improvements underway at Naval Air Station Lemoore school

A major modernization project is happening at Naval Air Station Lemoore, and it will directly benefit the families of military members.

When the project is complete, Admiral Akers School will have room for about 130 more students.

There will be a new junior high wing with 14 classrooms and a multi-purpose building, which will include a basketball court, music room, and stage.

"The stage will accommodate 125 musicians," said Central Union Elementary School District Superintendent Tom Addington. "So when our award-winning junior high school band is going to play for the community, we'll have a great facility for that event."

Admiral Akers is one of two public schools inside Naval Air Station Lemoore, serving K-8 children of military families, and one of four schools in Central Union School District.

Five years ago, the district applied for a grant through a federal program that allocates funds to schools on military bases with condition or capacity deficiencies-capacity being the issue at Admiral Akers.

The school received nearly $30 million in federal funds for the modernization project.

Another $7 million was secured through district and state funds, and crews broke ground earlier this year.

On Friday, Valley Congressman T.J. Cox toured the construction site.

He says this is a worthy investment-one military families deserve.

"Lemoore and the military families here are the direct people that I represent in Congress," Cox said. "And it's so important to listen to what their concerns are, what their needs are, and I can take those needs back to Congress and be able to do something about it."

Addington added: "A third of our budget is federal money and so it's great to make that connection with him so he can see what the federal dollars are doing not only for this particular project, but also in educating our students."

Construction is expected to be finished by the end of January 2021.