CACHE — The Cache Public Schools district has received a major federal construction grant from a U.S. Department of War program designed to provide resources to public school districts that serve military-connected families across the nation.
The $8,761,672 grant, awarded by the Department of War Education Activity – also known as DOWEA – will be used to begin a program called Project Cache R.I.S.E., which stands for Renovating Infrastructure for Student Excellence. The initiative will focus on the modernization of the Cache Elementary Intermediate Building.
The building, opened in 1991, is used for classes for about 450 students in grades two through four. Cache Superintendent Chad Hance said nearly 35% of the building’s students have connections to either Fort Sill, an Army installation adjacent to the Cache district, or Altus Air Force Base.
Hance said he was told the Cache grant application, prepared by Assistant Superintendent Tammie Reynolds, ranked fifth among the 100 or so submitted from across the nation to the Department of War, formerly known as the Department of Defense. He said the district received official confirmation of the awarding of the grant on July 28.
“We were over the moon when we got it,” he said. “We were ecstatic. We know we’re fortunate to receive this.”
The Cache district’s annual budget is around $21 million, he said, meaning the grant would be equivalent to about 40% of that amount – an enormous sum for a district the size of Cache, a Comanche Country district with about 2,100 students.
Hance said if the district would have needed to prepare a bond proposal to voters for the project, the cost for the school building renovation would have been somewhere between $14 million and $15 million, so the grant will provide immense cost savings.
“This project is a transformative investment in our students’ future,” Hance said. “By addressing aging infrastructure and enhancing our security measures, we are fulfilling our commitment to providing a safe, healthy, and future-ready environment that supports the academic continuity of our military families and the entire Cache community.
Major renovations to the building will include the replacement of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units and the replacement of floor-to-ceiling windows to address water intrusion, mold concerns and termite damage.
Security enhancements will include the construction of a secure vestibule, relocation of the main office to improve visitor screening and building access, installation of protective bollards and the addition of interior lockable classroom doors.
The grant also will pay for an addition to the building with classrooms designed to support innovative, student- centered learning, including a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) lab and an expanded Move to Learn lab. The addition also will include a specialized classroom that will be compliant with specifications in the Americans with Disabilities Act and will support students participating in the DOWEA’s Exceptional Family Member Program.
“Project Cache R.I.S.E. allows us to move from reactive maintenance to a proactive, sustainable model of excellence,” Reynolds said. “These new flexible learning environments will directly support innovative instructional strategies like collaborative learning and hands-on STEM engagement for every student in the building.”
Hance said the construction is anticipated to last about three years and that students will be able to use portions of the building not under construction at any given time. Under the grant’s rules, the district has five years to finish all work funded by the grant.
The district already has submitted a proposed floor plan as part of the grant that Hance said might need to be tweaked. He’s expecting it to take about six months to finish design work and gain the necessary approvals from the Cache school board. If everything proceeds as expected, he said, construction could begin in April or May.
“This investment represents much more than a renovation of a school building,” Hance said. “It represents an investment in the future of our students, our families, our staff, and the Cache community.”
Just across the Texas state line, the Burkburnett school district received a grant similar to that of Cache. The Burkburnett district plans to use its $8.5 million grant to renovate the career and technical education wing at Burkburnett High School. ---
Murray Evans has reported in Oklahoma for nearly 40 years, covering subjects including education, tribal affairs, energy and sports. Previously working for The Oklahoman and The Associated Press, Evans has travelled the state to tell the stories of Oklahomans, winning multiple awards in sports and news writing along the way. He can be reached at murray. evans@swoknews.com.