Colonel Dawson outlines school–base activities and trustees approve letter supporting Stevenson Elementary

Colonel Dawson, a base representative, told the MOUNTAIN HOME DISTRICT Board of Trustees that April is Military Child Month and summarized a string of upcoming events in which base leadership will participate, including a Purple Up celebration at Stevenson Elementary, a pep rally and a senior recognition event. He said the base has about 125 volunteers signed up to support school activities and that the base provided canvases for display in district schools.

Why it matters: Board members said the base’s outreach and the proposed real-property work are important to the district’s plans for Stevenson Elementary. Dawson also said the base has stood up a working group to address two parallel real-property actions: a short-term renewal of the existing Stevenson land lease (which expires in 2025) and a separate, longer new lease for a prospective new-build site. "We require approval from the Air Force at the Pentagon," Dawson said, and the district will need to work with the appropriate Air Force engineering center on any real-property package.

Trustees approved a motion to send a letter of support for the district’s financial commitment to the PSMI project for Stevenson Elementary, with the board agreeing to include the additions requested in writing by base leadership. A trustee asked whether the base would reciprocate with a similar letter; trustees said they would expect coordinated support from base leadership as planning proceeds. The board’s action was procedural (a motion carried by voice vote); specific funding commitments and final lease terms remain subject to the Pentagon and Air Force review processes.

On transparency: A trustee asked whether the base’s education-assessment survey results would be shared with district staff. Dawson said the survey was intended as a situational-awareness tool for internal government use but that the base would share general trends or clearly actionable findings with the district. "If there’s general trends or definitely if there’s, like, actionable type, comments or things we can do to get after, I’m happy to share that," Dawson said.

Next steps: The board authorized the letter of support with requested stipulations and directed staff to continue coordination with base leadership on the PSMI-related lease work; final approvals and project timelines will depend on Pentagon and Air Force processes.