Jack N. Darby ES History
Opened: 1988
OPEN
Jack N. Darby Elementary School was completed in 1988 and inaugurated on October 14, 1988. The school initially educated students in kindergarten through sixth grade, then had students preschool age to sixth grade, and now has students from preschool age to fifth grade.
The opening ceremonies were held at Fleet Activities Sasebo’s newly constructed Hario housing community. The official dedication was attended by RADM J. Guy Reynolds, USN, Commander, Submarine Force Pacific; Mr. Richard Osner, District Superintendent of Schools, Japan DoDDS; and Capt. J.A. Hough, USN, CO US Fleet Activities, Sasebo. After the unveiling of the school’s name, ribbon cutting and presentation of RADM Darby’s portrait, the Darby Dolphins entertained a full house with patriotic singing and choral speaking.
The school was named in honor of Rear Admiral Jack N. Darby, the former Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet who died of cardiac arrest January 19, 1987. Jack N. Darby was content and competent working with students of all ages. He understood that tenacity, enthusiasm, and plain hard work was the formula for the successful student. During his naval career, Darby served on board five submarines prior to his selection as commanding officer of Submarine Squadron Ten in Connecticut. His shore assignments included Executive Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Submarine Warfare), Deputy Director of Attack Submarine Division, Staff Chief of Naval Operations, and Commandant of the Midshipmen U. S. Naval Academy. His contribution to learning is well known in the Navy and his accomplishments as commander of the U. S. Naval Academy are part of Navy lore.
The school is located in the Hario Housing Area approximately forty-five minutes from the main US Naval Base in Sasebo. Originally, Darby School was an annex of E. J. King School. During its first years, the school had a staff of four classroom teachers and a special education teacher. There were also specialists for physical education, music, computer education, and host nation. Special services were provided on an itinerant basis from E. J. King. The principal, assistant principal, and counselor served both schools. The total enrollment for the 1989-90 school year was less than 100 students; however, by the 1992-93 school year the enrollment reached 200 students.
The school is the “Home of the Dolphins”, and the school colors are navy and light blue.
School Song
Two gray dolphins in the ocean,
Hey, hey, hey up the mountain,
Up the mountain is a Torii Gate,
Come on up to the Darby School,
Darby School we'll be dedicated,
To excel in every way.
During the first years of the school, the students participated in intramural sports, choir, student council, and several host nation activities. The ’92 yearbook reported on the elementary students’ participation in the cultural experience of making mochi:
On December 5th, Darby students in grades kindergarten through fifth experienced an ancient Japanese tradition. Mochi pounding, the process of taking rice, steaming it, and pounding it into dough, occurs every year. Egami Elementary School, Darby's Japanese sister school, invited them to share in this experience. Darby's students traveled by bus to Egami Elementary School full of excitement, for many students knew what lie ahead; Egami School has offered this invitation for many years. This year students from both schools exchanged small gifts after taking turns pounding the rice with heavy, wood mallets. All students participated in making round balls of sticky rice which they put in hot, steaming soup, a wonderful way to end a cold day.
For the 1993-94 year, there were eleven classrooms, a media center, cafeteria, office, and faculty lounge. An assistant principal, librarian, nurse, communications impaired and physical education teachers, guidance counselor, and computer coordinator served both schools at Sasebo: Darby and King. The following year the enrollment increased to 250 students.
The school continued to grow and by the 1997-98 school year the enrollment had reached over 440 students in PreK through sixth grade. Mary Simmons was principal and continued as principal through the 2002-03 school year. The ’98 yearbook reported that “During the school year, all students, Sure Start through Grade 6, go on study trips to many places of interest in and around Sasebo area. Exchange programs are held among local schools: Kashima, Egami, Tominohara, Myojo, Himosashi, Takino and Hario Kg.”
During the 1998-99 school year, the playground was dedicated to Adolphe Portaria, a teacher who was retiring after forty-four years in Sasebo. During the 2000-01 school year, Dr. Joseph Tafoya, DoDEA Director, visited the school. The school had a snow day on January 16 due to the largest snowfall in thirty-four years.
Mr. John Mueller became the principal for the next five years (2002–2008). In addition to its original curricular offerings, the school now has programs for Schoolwide Enrichment, Talented and Gifted, and Peer Mediation. Student clubs included art, drama, sports, chess, music, technology, and homework assistance. Jooy Jaramillo became the principal for the 2008-09 school year followed by Daisy Weddle. In the mid-2010s new student activities were guitar, Odyssey of the Mind, robotics, soroban, STEM (Science, Technology, Electronics, and Mathematics) and Read Across America.
The interim principal for the 2015-16 school year was Gail Awakuni followed by principal Henry LaFebre who remained at the school through the 2019-20 school year. During the 2000s through 2010s the enrollment fluctuated from over 400 to less than 300 students. The highest enrollment was for 2017-18 with the lowest in 2014-15.
According to the 2019 yearbook,
On October 12, 2018, LCDR Ryan S. Annis, USN, Chief Staff Officer US Fleet Activities, Sasebo, came to help rededicate the school. Students from Sure Start through sixth grade, faculty, parents, AFN, and community members watched as the ribbon was cut by Lee Barnhill and Megumi Fukui, the longest serving staff members, Henry LeFebre, principal, and LCDR Annis. Everyone then went inside to celebrate the 30 years of Darby with cakes, 1988 music, and a slide show about the history of the school.
Dr. Chris Racek became the principal for the 2020-21 school year followed by Richard Jimenez in 2023-24. Beginning in 2021-22, the sixth grade attended the middle school at King. A new playground was completed for the 2023-24 school year. Enrollment has continually decreased since 2018-19, and for the 2024-25 school year there were less than 200 students in Sure Start through fifth grade.
The school is currently open.
Information from DoDDS School Information Guides, school websites and school yearbooks