JUNE 9, 2025 – The Sierra Sands Unified School District cut the ribbon, June 3, 2025, on a new 77,000-square-foot Richmond Elementary School at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, restoring an essential academic anchor after the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes.
A $78 million grant from the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation’s Public Schools on Military Installations program, along with a $19 million state and local match, funded the replacement of the original 55,000-square-foot building, which opened in 1953.
The new campus features modern classrooms, collaborative learning pods and dedicated labs for science, technology, engineering, arts and math. The facility accommodates more than 500 students — most of whom are military dependents.
“Today, we recognize the district for completing a project that keeps faith with our service members, improves educational quality for defense-connected students and helps the Navy recruit and retain critical skills,” said Patrick O’Brien, director of OLDCC.
Resilience After Quakes
The magnitude 6.4 and 7.1 earthquakes that struck July 4, 2019, damaged scores of structures across the high-desert installation, including Richmond Elementary, which suffered cracked walls, buckled floors and ceiling failures.
Students and teachers completed the school year in temporary classrooms at a nearby campus while the district, the Navy and state officials planned a permanent solution.
“It didn’t matter what building we were in — Richmond’s spirit never wavered,” Sierra Sands Unified School District Superintendent April Moore told the audience of parents, sailors and city leaders. “This campus is more than bricks and mortar; it’s a promise that education endures.”
That spirit was recognized when the school, even while displaced, earned California’s Purple Star School of Distinction award for exemplary support to military families.
A Strategic Connection
Spanning 1.1 million acres of Mojave Desert, NAWS China Lake is the Navy’s premier research, development, testing and evaluation hub for airborne weapons. Its engineers have contributed to nearly every Navy and Marine Corps air-launched munition developed over the past 50 years.
“This completed project directly supports the station’s mission readiness,” O’Brien said. “Families know their children can learn in a safe, state-of-the-art environment.”
Mayor Travis Endicott called the new school “a testament to growth, resilience and optimism,” adding that opening — not closing — schools signals a community on the rise.
Designed for Tomorrow’s Navy
District educators collaborated with NAWS China Lake science, technology, engineering and mathematics mentors to design flexible learning spaces adaptable for activities ranging from robotics competitions to art installations. Movable walls, writable surfaces and modular furniture enable quick reconfiguration, while energy-efficient glazing and solar-ready roofs reduce long-term costs.
During the ceremony, Moore presented Principal Heather Miller with an American flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol, symbolizing the bond between the school and the military community it serves. Sailors raised the flag outside the main entrance before dignitaries cut a purple ribbon — a nod to the Richmond wildcat mascot and the school’s signature “Purple Rock,” relocated from the original site with Navy assistance.
“Military families make sacrifices every day,” Moore said. “Our responsibility is to give their children a place where they feel supported, inspired and empowered to thrive.”
Partnership in Practice
The project exemplifies whole-of-government collaboration. OLDCC’s 80% grant was awarded in November 2022, with the remainder funded by California’s Office of Public School Construction and local taxpayers. State Sen. Shannon Grove and Assemblyman Stan Ellis praised parents who “turned countless late-night board meetings into bricks, wiring and Wi-Fi for our kids.”
For the Navy, the investment reinforces a pipeline of future innovators. “[The Navy is] deeply committed to building your dreams today so, tomorrow, you can help defend the nation,” said Dan Carreño, executive director of Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division.
Looking Ahead
Teachers will move in over the summer break, preparing classrooms and labs in time for the start of the school year. Meanwhile, demolition crews will finish clearing the quake-damaged site on base, making room for possible community athletic fields.
“When we cut this ribbon, we opened more than doors; we opened futures,” Moore said. “Strong schools build strong communities, and Richmond Elementary’s strength will carry forward for generations.”
By Army Maj. Wes Shinego, DOD News