Schweinfurt MS (formerly JHS) History
Opened: 1981
Closed: 2013
Schweinfurt Junior High School was located in the Askren Manors Housing Area. This housing area was a short distance from Ledward Barracks and one kilometer (0.62 miles) from Schweinfurt, Germany. The junior high was housed in a modern, two-story structure completed in the summer of 1977. Originally, the junior high and elementary school were combined and had a single administration. The junior high building contained twelve general classrooms, including three science labs, one music/band room, one industrial arts shop, a home economics room, teachers’ lounge, typing laboratory, and an art room with a clay and kiln room. There were offices for administration, clerical staff, a nurse, and supply. One multipurpose room served as a physical education room for the elementary school in the morning, as a cafeteria during lunch, and as an auditorium for the elementary, junior high, and community. The junior high used the elementary gymnasium since this gym had shower facilities. The junior high housed the media center for both schools, grades kindergarten through nine, in a center with offices and workrooms for media personnel.
For the 1981-82 school year, there were 320 students in grades seven through nine with eighteen teachers. The staff included a Title XIV compensatory reading teacher, a learning development specialist, and a speech therapist. Advanced classes in mathematics and English were part of the curriculum. The elementary school and junior high had a combined yearbook. The administrators for the junior high were principal Gordon Gartner and education program manager (EPM) Gary Rhyne. The junior high extracurricular activities included student council, band, and clubs for French, German, drama, and journalism. There were several school dances sponsored by different organizations and a schoolwide talent show.
The next school year Gary Rhyne was the principal, and Robert Park was the Education Program Manager. The school now had a German–American exchange program with the German school Alexander von Humbolt Gymnasium.
According to the 1983 yearbook,
The students at SAJHS have a busy schedule. Not only do they attend seven classes each day, but they participate in extracurricular activities and clubs. Among these activities are the French Club, the Student Council, the Band, the Newspaper Staff, the National Junior Honor Society, the Library Club, and the Yearbook Club.
The students also take part in an exchange program with German students from the Alexander von Humbolt Gymnasium. The German students observed our classes and school system while our student observed theirs.
During the lunch period the students competed against each other in a mini ping pong tournament in the cafeteria and football and basketball in the outside area.
New activities in the eighties included a school newspaper, the National Junior Honor Society, Outdoor Dimensions, Future Homemakers of America, Safety Patrol, and clubs for library, mathematics, chess, and modeling. In 1987, the school mascot was changed to the Hawk. The school had five administrators: Dr. Joan Klose, principal; Mary Gorman, assistant principal; Pete Louviere, assistant principal; Donna Donaldson, EPM; and E.B. Stafford, EPM.
A brand-new school located at Kesser Field was opened in August 1990. The new principal was E.B. Stafford, and there were about 225 students in grades seven through nine. Sports teams for the junior high were through the community youth activities program. The school mascot was changed to the Knight for the 1990-91 school year.
The junior high became a middle school for the 1993-94 school year, and there were 230 students in grades six through eight.
Mr. Stafford remained as the school principal at least through the 1994-95 school year with Ted Edwards as his assistant. Dr. Eldrenna Durham was the principal from 2001–2004 and her assistant for 2003-04 was Mr. Currier.
The middle school closed in June 2013. The last school year of the community, students in grades Pre-K through six went to the elementary school, and seventh and eighth graders attended Schweinfurt High School, which was in Yorktowne Village.
Information from DoD School Information Guides and school yearbooks