Zweibrücken ES #3 History
Opened: 1978
Closed: 1981
The French military forces were operational in Zweibruecken, Germany from 1945-1977. Upon their departure the United States Airforce Europe (USAFE) assumed control of the property which included the housing area, locally referred to as the French housing area, and the school. In 1978 DoDDS opened Zweibruecken ES School #3 on the property. It was a small, five-teacher K-6 school with combination classes in grades 1-6 and a half-day kindergarten class. The school received logistical support from Zweibruecken Airbase located approximately five miles away.
Due to contractual problems a contract could not be issued to clean the school prior to the opening day of school. The building had been vacant for over a year. The staff was adamant that the school should open on time. To avoid a delayed opening the small school staff, over a two-day period, cleaned the building. The school opened its doors to students on the day all schools were scheduled to open.
The students were involved in many activities including the much-anticipated airbase sponsored fun day. On one such occasion LTC Antonio Reyna, the husband of one of the teachers and an airman who had a son attending the school decided to assist the school through fund raising efforts. LTC Reyna contacted a local Metzgarei to provide schwenkbraten and a local backerei for brochen for the three-day event. In the tent setup for the school, they sold schwenkbraten on brochen and beverages. On another occasion book bags were sold. The funds generated through both sales enabled the purchase of playground equipment for the school.
Students remember the yearly schoolwide parent-student Christmas dinner at the school on the day prior to the start of Christmas vacation. Parents provided all meal items. Also remembered were the wonderful study trips to such German cities as Trier, Saarbruecken, and Heidelberg, as well as the annual ski trip to Scheffau, Austria. The year before the school closed the first-grade students were involved in a swimming program at the local German swimming pool.
The school was annexed to Zweibruecken Elementary School in 1981. It closed in 1993.