Grand Forks Air Force Base moves forward with major school project designed to support military families and new missions

Emerado, North Dakota – A major new education project is moving forward at Grand Forks Air Force Base as leaders officially broke ground on the future Nathan F. Twining Elementary and Middle School, a facility designed to serve military families and support the continued growth of defense missions in the region.

Senator John Hoeven participated in the groundbreaking ceremony and highlighted the importance of the project, which carries a total price tag of $69 million. The new school is being funded through a combination of federal, state, and local dollars.

As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, Hoeven worked to secure more than $55 million in federal funding through the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation. An additional $14 million is being provided through state and local matching funds, bringing the total investment to $69 million.

The new facility will replace both Carl Ben Eielson Elementary School and Nathan Twining Middle School. Officials said the project addresses concerns related to the condition of the existing buildings as well as capacity needs for current and future students.

Once completed, the school will be able to serve approximately 500 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The facility will place a strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, commonly known as STEM education.

Supporting military families and future growth

According to Hoeven, the project is about more than simply constructing a new school building. He said it is also an important step toward preparing Grand Forks Air Force Base for significant expansion in the coming years.

Military officials and lawmakers expect the base to play a growing role in national defense initiatives, which could bring hundreds of additional military personnel and their families to the region.

One of the largest planned developments is the proposed U.S. Space Force Space Operations Center. Hoeven has worked to advance the project, which carries an estimated value of $250 million.

The facility would bring hundreds of Space Force Guardians to Grand Forks and include a highly secure operations center exceeding 180,000 square feet. The building would function as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, commonly known as a SCIF, supporting highly classified operations for both the Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office.

Hoeven said the anticipated growth connected to the Space Operations Center makes it even more important for the community to have educational facilities capable of serving military families relocating to the area.

Expanding defense missions in Grand Forks

The senator also pointed to several other defense-related initiatives that continue to expand the strategic importance of Grand Forks Air Force Base.

Among them is the Point Defense Battle Lab, which is focused on testing and validating advanced technologies designed to protect military installations from threats posed by unmanned aircraft.

Another project, known as Project ULTRA, is working to rapidly develop affordable systems that can identify and defeat drone threats before they create security risks.

Grand Forks also hosts the T-REX event, where private companies demonstrate promising counter-drone technologies. Those demonstrations help military officials evaluate whether certain systems should be acquired for future defense operations.

At the same time, Hoeven continues to push for a new intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance mission for the base. He said he has worked closely with Air Force and Space Force leaders to prevent a gap in ISR capabilities.

The senator noted that he has secured funding for the future ISR mission through annual defense appropriations bills while also supporting measures that prevent the retirement of the Global Hawk fleet, helping maintain current surveillance capabilities until a replacement mission is established.

During the groundbreaking event, Hoeven connected all of these efforts to the importance of supporting military families.

“This $69 million project, which is supported by $55 million in federal funding that we secured, is an investment in the future growth of the Grand Forks Air Force Base and comes as part of our efforts to support our military families. We’ve worked to ensure this region leads the way in our nation’s future defense missions. In particular, the new Space Operations Center is going to mean big growth for the base, bringing hundreds of Guardians to the region. On top of that, we continue to expand counter-drone operations at the base and are laying the groundwork to bring the next generation of ISR to Grand Forks. We need to ensure the base has the services required to make this a smooth transition for all of the families who will come as these missions are established. That’s exactly what the new Twining Elementary and Middle School will help accomplish,” said Hoeven.

The project represents both an educational investment and a long-term effort to prepare Grand Forks Air Force Base for a future that could include new missions, additional personnel, and expanded responsibilities in national defense.