The Norfolk (Va.) school district has begun construction of a new Camp Allen Elementary School to replace an aging facility.
Plans call for a 97,630-square-foot building on a 14-acre site with the capacity for 571 students in pre-kindergarten through 5th grade. The majority of students at the school are the children of military personnel. Enrollment at the existing campus, which was built in 1971, is 449 students, the city of Norfolk says.
A $22.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense will cover 80 percent of the estimated $28.7 million construction cost. The city will provide the remaining 20 percent.
Camp Allen Elementary is situated at Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads, which is home to the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Joint Staff Hampton Roads, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command, Naval Submarine Forces, Atlantic; and Naval Reserve Forces Command.
The new Camp Allen is the final project in the school district's efforts to build five schools in three years.