Rota ES (aka David Glasgow Farragut ES) History
Opened: 1958
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Originally, Rota Elementary School was part of David Farragut Dependent School which opened in 1954 and was then known as David Glasgow Farragut Elementary School. The original school was a kindergarten through twelve school with twenty-eight students. The school was named in honor of David Glasgow Farragut, the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and full admiral of the United States Navy. James Farragut was the son of a Spanish immigrant to the United States. After the death of his father, Farragut was adopted by a family friend, US Navy Captain David Porter, who wanted to give James the benefit of an education and the opportunities of a naval career. Later, James changed his name to David to honor his adoptive father. David Glasgow Farragut was the first senior officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.
In September 1958, the school was relocated from a fishing village to the housing area of the Rota Naval Station on the Bay of Cadiz on the southern coast of Spain. The American forces are guests on this Spanish Naval Base. The base is located adjacent to the towns of Rota and El Puerto de Santa Maria. The students are from military, civilian, and contractor personnel, serving aboard the Naval Station and its tenant activities. Students come from all over the U.S. and their tours in Spain range from 2 to 5 years Adjacent to the naval base is the town of Rota and a few kilometers away is the town of Puerto de Santa Maria. The 1958 school complex consisted of separate one-story buildings, one for the elementary school and one for the high school.
From the initial twenty-eight students in a one-room school the enrollment grew to a peak of approximately 1,300 students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
For the 1960-61 school year there were 340 students enrolled in grades kindergarten through six. There were eighteen elementary teachers, and the principal was Helen Watts. Jack Brown was the superintendent for the two schools in Rota. The enrollment remained the same in the elementary school until the 1964-65 school year when the number of students in grades one through six was over 700. There were two administrators for the elementary school for the 1965-66 school year: Mrs. Viola Wright and Mr. Leslie West.
In 1981-82 there were 835 students in grades K–6 with half-day kindergarten classes. The staff consisted of twenty-eight classroom teachers, twelve specialists, and two administrators. By the 1993-94 school year, the enrollment was 1,000 students. There were thirty-four classroom teachers and twenty-one specialists including compensatory education.
Even though the official DoDEA name of the school is Rota Elementary School, the name in the Rota community has always been David Glasgow Farragut Elementary School.
In the mid-nineties the enrollment was over 850 students in PSCD (Preschool Services for Children with Disabilities), Preschool Child Development, and grades through sixth. Ms. Barbara Rudometkin was the principal for the 1994-97 school years and the assistants were Susan Ussery (’94–’96), Susan Simmons (’94–’97) and Alan Hoffman (’96–’97). The school had Spanish Immersion classes for kindergarten through second grade. The school specialists included art, music, host nation, physical education, media and computers. Small groups and individuals received services for compensatory education, Reading Recovery, English as a Second Language, speech and language development, and learning development. Extracurricular activities included clubs for Spanish, math, ping pong, School Wide Enrichment, Safety Patrols, drama, and music activities such as chorus and the recorder. The school continued the tradition of being actively engaged in host nation events such as the Feria and Sevillana Club where girls learned local dances. Students also participated in the regional Math Olympiads program.
By the end of the nineties, the enrollment had dropped to about 650 students. Gary Edsell was the principal, and his assistants were Phyllis Fuglaar-Ennarsi and Sheila Bitterman. For the 1999-2000 school year, there were thirty-one classroom teachers and sixteen specialists. That school year brought many changes to DGF Elementary, with the implementation of full day kindergarten and the renovation of the kindergarten classrooms and wing. The millennium brought planned renovations throughout the entire school, with a totally new campus planned for completion in 2004.
In August 2004, the elementary school moved into a new modern school facility. Ms. Susan Simmons was the principal for the 2006–2008 school years. The enrollment had dropped to about 420 students, and there were many multi-age classes to best accommodate the needs of the students. Annual events at the elementary school included The Living Wax Museum; Read Across America, later called Read Across DoDEA; Red Ribbon Week; Spelling Bee; Geography Bee; STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics; and continued interactions with the local host nation. New clubs were Robotics, Discovery, Gardening, and After School Scholars.
Mr. William Wilhoit was the elementary principal from 2011–2015. Carmen Harana (2011–2013), Marcela Munoz (2011–2013) and Kristin Forrester (2014–2015) were the assistant principals. The sixth graders were moved to the Middle/High school for the 2014–2015 school year.
The administrators for the 2016–2018 school years were Fredo Ontiveros, principal, and Kristin Forrester, assistant principal.
Mr. Ken Kirk was the principal from 2018–2023. The enrollment increased to 580 students and then was between 470 and 515 students. During the2018-19 school year, the school recognized student participation on the local swim team, the Tiburones. Students and parents celebrated Dr. Suess Week, produced the daily announcements through the Toro TV Club, and explored math with the Algebra Club. Families were engaged in the curriculum through academic nights for mathematics and literature. The school motto was:
The Toro Way
Treat others with respect.
Observe safety and health actions.
Respect Property.
Opt to be a leader.
In 2022 Rota Elementary School was recognized as an Exemplary High Performance Blue Ribbon School.
Information from AOSHS archives and school yearbooks.