Great American Outdoors Act - Monthly Focus

The Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund continues to make important safety improvements at Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools. GAOA LRF project work recently removed more than 9,600 square feet of deteriorating buildings in New Mexico at Ohkay Owingeh Community School, Haak’U Community Academy and San Felipe Pueblo Elementary School. These structures were no longer safe or suitable for use, and their removal eliminates potential hazards while opening opportunities for future campus improvements.

Ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment is a priority for BIE. GAOA LRF investments provide necessary repairs, renovations, and replacements for aging or outdated school infrastructure. By removing excess and deteriorating buildings, this project helps create clean, functional, and accessible spaces where students and staff can focus on education.

Through GAOA LRF, BIE continues to modernize school facilities nationwide, addressing critical needs and making long-term improvements. These projects help ensure that students have access to high-quality learning environments that will support their success for future generations.

In 2024, BIE will continue investing in transformational improvements to academic facilities through the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund. Later this year, work will begin on a new, modernized campus for Shonto Preparatory School. This GAOA-funded project will replace the current campus—consisting of seven major buildings and several smaller structures—with state-of-the-art facilities. It will also include upgraded athletic fields and new water distribution and sewer systems to replace infrastructure that has been in place for 60 years.

These enhancements will create a safe, accessible, and modern learning environment for students for generations to come.