The plan to build a new elementary school at Fort Sill moved one step closer to becoming a reality when the Lawton Public Schools was invited this week to submit an application for up to $37.2 million in federal funds for the project.

Lawton Public Schools received a letter from the Office of Economic Adjustment April 2 inviting it to submit a formal application for an amount not to exceed $37,215,368.

The money would be used to build a new school on post that would replace Geronimo Road Elementary and Sheridan Road Elementary schools.

"This is fantastic news for the Lawton-Fort Sill community," said Barry Beauchamp, LPS superintendent. "It is a true win for our children and our school district. The members of the Lawton Board of Education, the leadership of Fort Sill and many citizens of our community have worked extremely hard to gather resources and support for this project, and it is very rewarding to see such a wonderful collaborative effort result in this special opportunity. We will be diligently working over the next month to complete the formal application and hopefully will start construction in late summer or early fall."

Fort Sill officials were equally excited to learn of the invitation.

"This is great news for our Soldiers and their families, and will certainly enhance the quality of education our children receive," said Col. Paul Hossenlopp, Fort Sill Garrison commander. "Without question, this highlights the commitment of the Defense Department, the Army and our local community in supporting a second-to-none quality of life for our military families."

The receipt of the invitation is the latest in a lengthy process by LPS and Fort Sill to obtain funding to build a new elementary school.

Nearly a year ago, Under Secretary of the Army Joseph Westphal personally visited Fort Sill to tour the two schools and meet with LPS and Fort Sill leaders. In September, LPS was instructed to prepare a proposal outlining the replacement the two facilities. The action was taken after the Department of Defense set aside $250 million in funds to upgrade aging and overcrowded public schools on military installations. Both Geronimo Road and Sheridan Road schools were on the secretary of defense's priority list of schools designated as needing replacement.

A five-member delegation from Fort Sill and LPS traveled to Washington, D.C., in October to discuss the scope of the project with an Oklahoma Education Association evaluation team. The OEA made a site visit in December to validate the proposal and determine if it adequately addressed the outlined needs.

In the nearly four months since the site visit, Beauchamp said numerous inquiries and requests for information have been fielded by the local team as it worked to determine a clear cost estimate for the project.

The superintendent indicated the April 2 letter inviting LPS to complete the final portion of the application process means the district could receive final word within the next four to six weeks. Current plans call for final completion of a design so that the bidding process to construct the school can take place in August.

The new school will sit immediately south of the present Geronimo Road Elementary School and will serve as many as 1,400 students -- the student populations of the two current Fort Sill schools, along with future growth generated by Buffalo Soldier Acres, a new housing unit on post, Hossenlopp said.

The new school will be constructed in a campus-type setting made up of multiple buildings connected by a central hallway leading to shared administrative, athletic, cafeteria and auditorium facilities.