Butzbach ES History
Opened: 1954
Closed: 2008
Butzbach American Elementary School was located in the Roman Way American Housing Area. The housing area was a part of the greater Giessen military community. Butzbach was located in the sub-community Kirch-Goens, which included two military bases, Ayers Kaserne and Schloss Kaserne. The village of Butzbach is located approximately forty kilometers north of Frankfurt am Main.
Butzbach American Elementary School was built and opened in 1954, and the first principal was John C. Hicks. When the school opened, there were 326 students in grades one through eight and forty-one high school students in the community. The school had fourteen classrooms, offices, a gymnasium, and a library.
Temporary classroom buildings were added, and for the 1981-82 school year there were fourteen external classrooms used as annexes to the main building. That year there were 750 pupils in grades kindergarten through six. The staff consisted of twenty-eight classroom teachers, a counselor, a librarian, a teacher/nurse, a reading teacher, a music teacher, two teachers of learning development, two host nation teachers, a speech therapist, an assistant principal, and a principal. By the 1987-88 school year, the enrollment had increased to 900 students in grades kindergarten through six. Two years later there were over 980 students enrolled.
Harold Schyberg, Jr., principal, and Mary Ann Burkard, assistant principal, were the school administrators for the 1985–1987 school years. There were 900 students enrolled. Students’ activities included Math Olympiads, student council, and chorus. The school published its first yearbook during the 1986-87 school year and had a school newspaper.
By the mid-nineties, the school enrollment had decreased to 475 students in grades K–6. The school now had the original building with fourteen classrooms and a newer building with sixteen classrooms. Ten classrooms were located in an annex. The staff now had thirty-three classroom teachers and specialists for art, music, and physical education. There were eight special education specialists, two guidance counselors, and two administrators. The school had a complete library and lunchroom.
Mrs. Marion Parker had been the school principal for five years when she retired at the end of the 2001-02 school year. The school enrollment was now less than 450. Kindergarten was a full day. The school had schoolwide presentations to celebrate holidays and Veteran’s Day. A new program at the school was Kids Helping Kids.
From 2002 until the school’s closing in 2008, Susanne Morin was the principal. In her message in the 2007 yearbook, she stated that:
Staff members throughout the school dedicated many hours, before & after the regular day to provide us opportunities in the shape of Student Council, Homework Club, Fitness Club, Cooking Club, Odyssey of the Mind, Board Games Club, Arts & Crafts Club, Writers Club, & Math Olympiads. Additionally, the Talent Show, Family math night, the Volksmarch/Field Day, the breakfast program, and reading incentives, like Read Across America, added smiles & memories to each passing day.
Our Parent Teachers Association remained instrumental in supporting students & programs throughout the school year, be it school pictures, creating this yearbook, Pastries for Parents, Family math Night, the Talent Show, the holiday dance, designing a new school T-shirt, & providing the beloved Popcorn Fridays weekly.
Butzbach Elementary and Bad Nauheim Elementary had a combined Volksmarch as an initial activity for the combination of the two schools for the final year.
The school was closed in 2008.
Information from the Dependent Schools School Information Guides and school yearbooks