August 21, 2026
Knob Noster Public Schools Awarded $21 Million DoWEA Construction Grant
Dear Knob Noster Students, Parents, and Community,
It is with tremendous excitement and gratitude that we announce Knob Noster Public Schools has been awarded a grant from the Department of War Education Activity in the amount of $21 million to support our Timely Facility Investment 4 Total Force Integration (TFI 4 TFI) initiative.
This historic investment will provide critical federal support toward completion of specific academic and workforce-development components of our new Knob Noster High School Innovation Campus. More importantly, this award represents a significant investment in the future of our students, our community, and our longstanding partnership with Whiteman Air Force Base.
TFI 4 TFI was developed around a simple idea: the same Total Force Integration philosophy that makes Whiteman Air Force Base a renowned model for the nation can be applied to the partnership between our schools, installation, community, government, and private-sector partners.
Knob Noster Public Schools currently serves more than 2,100 students, approximately 66% of whom are military-connected. Our enrollment has grown by 50% over the past decade, placing tremendous pressure on facilities throughout the district. At the same time, the arrival of the B-21 mission at Whiteman AFB and the recent investment in the future of the 442nd Fighter Wing makes preparing for current and future growth more important than ever. The district anticipates student enrollment to increase by an additional 50% in the next decade.
This $21 million will support academic classrooms, laboratories, career and technical education spaces, advanced manufacturing and robotics facilities, and JROTC training areas within the new high school, allowing us to expand the impact of these programs which prepare students for college, careers, military service, and the workforce needs of our region and our defense industrial base. The impact, however, will extend far beyond the walls of the new high school.
Opening a fifth school campus allows us to strategically realign facilities across the entire district. Our existing high school will undergo renovation and return as the new Knob Noster Middle School. The current middle school will become a new Intermediate School, which will alleviate overcrowding in both our elementary schools. By eliminating this overcrowding, the additional space that is created will allow the district to double the capacity of our Little Wingmen Preschool program from approximately 150 to 300 students. As a reminder, this program is offered 100% free to our families through other state and federal grant support.
This award is also an extraordinary example of what can happen when a community is willing to invest in itself.
Our Board of Education and community stepped forward first. The district purchased the property, completed design and engineering, secured local funding, completed environmental requirements, and moved construction forward. The Knob Noster Board of Education understood the urgency of our needs and our responsibility to support the students and families we serve while continuing to support our installation. We demonstrated our commitment, assumed our share of the responsibility, and asked the federal government to join us as a partner.
That request was honored, and today that partnership has been realized in a new and significant way!
We want to express our sincere, heartfelt appreciation to the Department of War Education Activity and their leadership who recognized the importance and value of this project. Over the last decade, DoWEA has invested over $12 million in our academic programs which have created a remarkable storyline of academic opportunities and success among our students. Altogether, DoWEA has now awarded nearly $33 million in grants to Knob Noster Public Schools in the last decade. We simply cannot begin to express our appreciation to our partners in DoWEA and in the DoW who continue to place their trust and support with us!
We also want to thank our Board of Education, staff, families, community members, Whiteman Air Force Base leadership, elected officials, project partners, and the many individuals who advocated for Knob Noster Public Schools. The ongoing investment in our school district is the result of years of aligning trust and common purpose among key partners and uniting a Total Force to the vision of what is possible for our students.
This is more than a construction grant. It is an investment in student success, military families, workforce development, quality of life, and the future of Whiteman Air Force Base and the Knob Noster community.
We have much work ahead but today is a moment to celebrate. An official ribbon cutting for this new facility will occur in conjunction with the 2026 Homecoming activities. Details will be shared in the near future.
Nearly $21 million in infrastructure investment is coming to Knob Noster Public Schools—and generations of students will benefit from it.
The future of Knob Noster Public Schools is taking shape, and we are building it together. Our Board of Education, administration, faculty and staff take pride in our work, and we look forward to our continued service to our students, families, community, and installation. Thank you to each of you for your ongoing partnership!
Very Respectfully,
Dr. Jerrod Wheeler, Superintendent of Schools
Mr. Michael Cohron, Deputy Superintendent
Mrs. Candie Howard, President, Board of Education
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Click here for full release: 2026 DoWEA Construction Grant Announcement