Enid Public Schools has been approved to receive $22 million for the construction of a new Eisenhower Elementary School at Vance Air Force Base.
The grant, awarded through the Department of War on March 13, will be used towards building the new elementary school being built close to where the current one stands. The Department’s Public Schools on Military Installations Program chose Eisenhower based on facility capacity and conditions of the school itself, making the school listed number 65 on the “Public Schools on Military Installations Priority List”. This project is unique because it is a partnership between Enid Public Schools (EPS) and the federal government due to the school's location at Vance Air Force Base.
The project will be a total of $28.2 million with EPS being responsible for 20% of the cost. Representative Chad Caldwell and Senator Roland Pederson were instrumental for their work at the state legislature in 2025 in securing $5 Million in funding through HB 2516, the Military Infrastructure Funding Bill. An additional $800,000 has been secured by the work of George Pankonin with Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission.
Helping on several different fronts with both the state and federal government was Michael Cooper with the Vance Development Authority. His coordination and help led to a large portion of the funding for Eisenhower Elementary. The project is moving into the active construction phase with sealed bids for construction, labor, and materials are being accepted until April 16. The Board of Education is expected to award the construction contract shortly after the bid opening.
Dr. Dudley Darrow, EPS Superintendent, expressed profound happiness and excitement for this project finally moving forward.
“Over the past three years, we have worked really hard on this Eisenhower Elementary project and I am extremely excited to get to this point,” Darrow. “This truly has been a collective effort from the Federal, State and Local representatives with the same common goal.”
The school will have a capacity of 350 students once the project is complete, supporting grades prekindergarten through fifth grade with new classrooms, equipment, learning tools, and exemplary staff. All architecture and design work were led by Ken Corbin and Erin Haney with the architecture firm of Corbin, Merz, and Haney.
Dr. Sam Robinson, EPS Chief Financial and Operations Officer, said, “I am very thankful of the interest our state representatives have taken in this project and the appreciation I have for the funding work provided by Michael Cooper, George Pankonin, Representative Chad Caldwell, and Senator Roland Pederson is without a doubt the key to this project’s success. I cannot express my gratitude enough to the work of these four gentlemen”.
The construction of a new school on base will be invaluable to defense-connected EPS students and be an advantageous site for Vance Air Force Base military personnel.
“This is an incredible opportunity for our military families and children. In addition to the district providing the services through the Purple Star Program they will also be attending school at one of the best, and newest elementary schools in the state and/or nation,” said Darrow. “Having a state-of-the art school on Vance Air Force Base for our military families is something that Enid Public Schools takes great pride in.”
Eisenhower holds the designation of Purple Star Campus through the Purple Star Program. The program is designed to help schools respond to the educational and personal challenges military-connected children face during their transition to a new school and keep them on track to be college-, workforce- and life-ready. and offers support to military families. The new school building will retain this designation.
The building will be constructed adjacent to the existing schools, allowing students to remain in their current classrooms until the project is complete. Construction is scheduled to begin the summer of 2026 and projected to be complete as of spring of 2028.
The public will be invited to a Groundbreaking event once it is scheduled.