The aging Hale Kula Elementary campus at Schofield Barracks will get a $33 million face-lift.

The Department of Defense on Thursday awarded $26.6 million for Hale Kula as part of a $250 million effort to upgrade public schools on military bases nationwide.

The federal money will be combined with $6.6 million in matching funds from the state Department of Education.

Facilities at Hale Kula ranked ninth worst among the 160 schools the Defense Department studied.

Schools were rated by physical condition and capacity to accommodate students.

Principal Jan Iwase said overcrowding is a major concern at Hale Kula, which has about 1,000 students.

“We’re very excited about this opportunity,” Iwase said. “The school was built in 1969, and there have been no upgrades or additional buildings since.”

Iwase said plans call for a new two-story classroom building, a student center and library-media center, and additional classrooms. Work is expected to begin this summer and take up to three years.

“When men and women serve in our military, their children serve, too,” U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono said in a statement. “This much-needed funding will help ensure the children of families stationed at Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Airfield can learn in a school with facilities that meet their needs.”