U.S. Rep. Castor Announces Major Grant to Rebuild Tinker PreK-8 Public School at MacDill AFB

Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) proudly announced the award of a significant Department of Defense grant to rebuild and expand Tinker PreK-8 School that serves the students of military service members stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. The $86 million grant will provide needed funding to improve the school's campus, expand its capacity and enhance the learning experience for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students.

"I am grateful to the military families, leadership at MacDill, Hillsborough County Public Schools and local advocates for working with me over the years to ensure that the Department of Defense (DoD) invests in students at MacDill. We envision that the new Tinker PreK-8 School will provide students with a state-of-the-art learning environment that gives children the high-quality education they deserve in a safe and modern environment.

"Our service members and their families deserve access to high-quality, reliable child care and schools, and their kids deserve to learn in a safe and healthy environment. Unfortunately, in its current state, Tinker has challenges.

"This transformative grant is the product of over a decade of work. In 2011, Tinker was ranked 118th out of 156 schools on DoD's priority funding list. However, through persistent advocacy and funding increases secured over time in the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Tinker moved up to 60th on the list by 2018. Our continued efforts over the years culminated in a successful effort in 2022 to include Tinker among the top 12 schools invited to participate in the Department of Defense's Public Schools on Military Bases Installations initiative."

Hillsborough County Public Schools will oversee the project and ensure that the school meets the highest standards for safety, accessibility and learning.