Kalayaan ES History
Opened: 1960
Closed: 1992
Kalayaan Elementary School located at Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines, was completed in February 1960. The school was located in lush tropical surroundings just a short distance from the Kalayaan Housing Area, which was one of the main housing areas on Subic Bay Naval Station. The school was constructed in 1956, with additional buildings being added in 1977, and included six modern, centrally air-conditioned buildings constructed to provide flexibility in programs. In addition to these buildings, there was a temporary complex of Quonset buildings which was replaced by a modern building in 1985.
Originally the school was a neighborhood school for grades one to six; but in order to integrate school populations on the base, it was changed to accommodate grades one to three. In addition to a temporary Quonset complex, there were eighteen permanent classrooms. Other rooms included a large educational media center, a music room, a Philippine culture room, a teachers’ lounge, and rooms for specialists, counseling, a social worker, and logistics coordinator.
Kalayaan Elementary School was selected to be the site of a new developmental center which supported the three base schools.
Kalayaan annually held a Philippine Culture Week, which included an assembly program of songs and dances, visits by Filipino craftsmen and musicians, and the preparation of Filipino food.
KES regularly visited ships in the bay and had visits from crew members. Students also made frequent field trips to Cubi Air Base to inspect various aircraft.
For the 1981-82 school year, the school had an enrollment of about 600 students in grades kindergarten through three. In the early eighties, there were eighteen permanent classrooms, a large media center, music room, culture room, staff lounge, reading improvement room, English as a Second Language (ESL) room, counseling room, nurse’s office, several supply rooms, and other Pupil Personnel Offices. The school had thirty-two full and part-time educators.
The next building in the complex was completed in 1987 and housed the Subic-San Miguel Developmental Center and a number of educational specialists and school services.
For the 1989-90 school year, there were twenty-two permanent classrooms, a large media center, gymnasium, music room, a new Philippine culture room, a faculty lounge, Reading Improvement Specialist room, two ESL rooms, counseling office, nurse’s office, several supply storage rooms, and a cafeteria for the daily lunch program. That year there were 625 students enrolled.
The school had the reputation as the most attractive DoDDS elementary school in the entire Pacific.
The school closed in 1992.
Information from DoDDS School Information Guides and DoDDS-Pacific Region 1946-1986