Humphreys West ES History
Opened: 2017
OPEN
Humphreys West Elementary School is located at USAG Humphreys near Pyeongtaek, Korea. Located within the seaport city of Pyeongtaek along the western coast of South Korea and approximately 40 miles south of Seoul, Camp Humphreys is home to the Army’s most active airfield in the Pacific and the center of the largest construction and transformation project in the US Department of Defense’s history. The history of Camp Humphreys dates back to 1919, when the Japanese military built the Pyeongtaek Airfield. During the Korean War, Pyeongtaek Airfield was named K-6 after being repaired and enhanced by the US Air Force to accommodate a US Marine Air Group and the 614th Tactical Control Group. In 1962, the base was renamed Camp Humphreys in honor of Chief Warrant Officer Benjamin K. Humphreys, a pilot assigned to the 4th Transportation Company, who died in a helicopter accident.
The school was opened in August 2017. Dr. Jeff McGee was the first principal, and the assistant principal was Ms. Kyong Beach. When the school opened it served preschool through fifth grade. On opening day there were two administrators, thirty-six teachers, and twenty-three classes. The school did not have a secretary at the beginning of the year. By the end of the year, the staff had grown to fifty, and there were almost 650 students. The first two years, the school started each day with a Morning Meeting conducted by the principal. The entire school met for school announcements and special assemblies. For the 2019-20 school year, the morning meetings were replaced by Osprey TV which was live every day at 7:35 am. The shows were developed, directed, and produced by the students.
The school mascot is the Osprey, and the school colors are red and black.
Students participate in local, district, and regional activities. The school holds a yearly Red Ribbon Week, celebrates the Month of the Military Child, and participates in Read Across America. Local activities include clubs for yearbook, running, art, American Sign Language, drawing, book study, fitness, Lego Challenge, French, and creative writing. Each year the school has held a Character Parade. The school has an active student council and Parent Teacher Student Organization. Students also participate in host nation celebrations such as Chuseok, the Korean Thanksgiving.
Ms. Allysse Struhs became the principal for the 2019-20 school year followed by Edgar Romeo for the 2021-22 school year. Mr. Willard Clites was the assistant principal for 2020-23 followed by Dr. Valencia Hickey for 2022-23.
The school’s enrollment continued to grow, reaching 775 by the 2019-2020 school year. The next year the fifth grade was moved to the middle school, but the enrollment remained constant. Enrollment dropped to about 625 during COVID but rebounded for the 2022-23 school year. The enrollment for the 2023-24 school year was 660.
Information based on internet sources and school yearbooks