Yokota MS History
Opened: 1970
Closed: 1974
Re-Opened: 2000
OPEN
Yokota Middle School is one of 20 schools in DoDEA’s Japan district. DoDEA’s schools serve the children of military service members and Department of Defense civilian employees by providing a comprehensive curriculum that is dedicated to attaining the highest student achievement for all students.
Yokota Middle School is the newest school on Yokota Air Base. The newly constructed school opened in the Fall of 2000 with 300 students in grades 7 and 8. The dedication for the new building was held June 13, 2000. The school administrators were principal Ms. Kathryn Forystek and assistant principal Mr. Darrell Mood. The first yearbook for the school was published for the 2000-01 school year and was called the White Tiger. The school colors are blue and white, and the mascot is the White Tiger. In 2001, the sixth grade was added.
The first year in the new school, students were able to participate in activities such as music, with two band levels and a chorus, team sports (wrestling and track), clubs (chess, books, and remote car racing), and student council. Students also participated in regional programs such as Brain Bowl and Peer Mediation.
For the 2001–2004 school years the principal was Steve Sanchez with Darell Mood as the assistant principal. The school newspaper was the Tiger Tribune. The school’s curriculum was enhanced with field trips on base and to cultural sites in the surrounding area. New extracurricular opportunities included science, strategy games, photography, girl empowerment, Q-Basic programming, model building, aquarium, cartooning, strength and conditioning, web design, step dance, and crafts. Volleyball and basketball teams were added to the sports choices. With the addition of the sixth grade, the enrollment was over 450 students. The JROTC program, which was begun the first year, was ended after the 2003-04 school year.
Mr. Don Christensen was the principal and Joy Jaramillo the assistant principal for the 2006–2008 school years. Golf and cross country were added as sports teams.
According to the school website, “Yokota Middle School is a small, friendly, and caring school located within miles of the Tokyo metropolis. We have a dedicated and highly trained staff that consist of one administrator, twenty-six teachers and nine support staff who all work collaboratively to advocate for each of our students and maintain a rigorous and friendly learning environment.”
Ms. Hillary Simmons was the principal for the 2024-25 school year, and the enrollment has been consistent since the school reopened.
Information from school yearbooks and the school website