Bad Kreuznach ES History
Opened: 1951
Closed: 2001
Bad Kreuznach, located in the Nahe Valley, about twelve miles from the junction of the Nahe and Rhine Rivers, is a beautiful old city. The city dates back to Roman times. It is famous as a health spa and a wine producing area.
For the 1953-54 school year, Bad Kreuznach American school had 513 elementary students and thirty-three high school students who took correspondence courses. The principal was Edward Marquard. The principal from 1968 to 1971 was Mrs. Moses.
Bad Kreuznach Elementary School, located in the Rose Barracks housing area, was a two-story regular school building. Facilities included twenty-two classrooms, an Educational Resource Center, counselor and nurse offices, multi-purpose room, teachers’ lounge, and business and supply offices. A large playground was immediately behind the building and provided adequate space for recess and physical education activities. An addition was completed in 1974.
The elementary school held its first schoolwide volksmarch in 1975. The same year the first student council was formed.
The monthly school newsletter was called the BK Flash.
The staff for the 1981-82 school year consisted of twenty grade level teachers, a counselor, librarian, special education teacher, reading improvement specialist, music specialist, school nurse, two host nation teachers, two educational aides, two administrators, and three clerical personnel. The 650 students were in grades K–6.
By the 1987-88 school year there were 700 students, and then the enrollment began to decrease. By the mid-nineties, there were approximately 500 students in the elementary school.
Students remembered the plum trees that were in front of the school and mentioned enjoying the fruit from these trees. The school had many annual events including volksmarches to different areas. Other field trips included:
- Trips to the historical city of Trier, Germany
- Visits to many locations in France
- Day trips to local vineyards to help with the grape harvest
- Cross country skiing trips
- Honor awards trips
Students also reported special events like a car smash to raise money for the first student council and pretzels sales to raise money for special events. Another memory was the haunted house constructed of Army tents held at the school. There was a monthly newsletter, Bad Kreuznach Flash, published beginning in the 1960s. The first elementary school student council was started in the mid-seventies under principal Joan Hahn.
The school was closed at the end of the 2000-01 school year. Any remaining military families were posted to Wiesbaden, Germany.
Information from DoDDS School Information Guides, alumni Facebook page, and websites
