Decimomannu ES History
Opened: 1986
Closed: 1991
The quadra-national air base of Decimomannu was located approximately twenty kilometers northwest of Sardinia’s capitol city, Cagliari, between the towns of Decimomannu and Villasor. The Italian-operated base also served as a home base for German, British and American military and civilian members. The school had grades kindergarten through eight and all students in grades nine through twelve had to attend London Central High School in London, England.
The American school, that opened its doors for the first time on September 5, 1986, was located on the southeast edge of Cagliari in the town of Selargius. The school was about thirty kilometers from the base. It was a very modern facility built by the Germans in 1980 to hold 240 students. The building was one story set in a housing area between the base and the capital, Cagliari. The German enrollment was thirty-five students grades kindergarten through six, the British enrollment was forty-five students in grades kindergarten through six, and the base was leased for the American students.
According to Gary Flannery, the first principal of the school:
In 1986, my wife, Diane, and I were hired to open a small two teacher school for the Americans. We had three classrooms and a small "office" to operate. One of the classrooms was turned into a library/storage room. We opened that fall for K - 8 students. Limited resources dictated that students with special needs would be screened from attending. Diane had grades 4-8 while I covered K-3. The kinders came every other day and were paired up with the fourth graders. Opening day, we had seven students (4 were ESL) with eight more enrolling within the next two weeks making it at least one student in every grade level. By year two, we had 30+ students. We hired another full-time teacher, one ESL/aide and one secretary/host nation teacher, Cheryl Biagini (Brit married to an Italian). There was no phone available for the first semester of school. Potable water had to be brought in from the base. A number of key essentials normally taken for granite were allusive and labor intensive. The second year Med headquarters in Madrid came through with money for the Americans to establish a playground & a trampoline for the benefit of our tri-national school.
The Flannerys were at the school for two years. Cathy Magni, who had been in Korea, became the principal for the third year and remained at the school until it closed.
Mr. Flannery reported that there was excellent cooperation between the three “headmasters/principals” and their staff both in school and socially. The German students went to school for half-days finishing with schoolwork at home in the afternoons.
The schools started an “international club” that involved language sharing tips, camping trips, dancing and gymnastics. The Americans students had numerous host nation study trips including cheese and pasta factories, grape-stomping as part of a wine/grappa tour, folk dancing and visiting a horse farm. Mr. Flannery said, “The pasta factory was particularly memorable. The owner was a boy growing up on Sardinia where his family lost everything during WWII. When we finished the tour, it was thought that we would get to sample some pasta. Instead, we were treated to a sit-down dinner with white tablecloths, decorated plates and small Italian and American flags. Part way through the multiple course meal, the owner told the students how he and his family were destitute at the end of WWII. Through the generosity of the American’s Marshall Plan, they were able to resume and build upon their comfortable life. This, he said, was the first time he has had the chance to say ‘thank you’ America. It was quite emotional. To this day, I am sure all the students, parents and staff remember his message.”
For the 1987-88 school year there were eighteen students in grades kindergarten through eight. The staffing for the first year was one teacher/principal, one classroom teacher, one Italian teacher/librarian clerk and one educational aide. The following school year there were seventy students enrolled in the school.
Information from Gary Flannery, first principal of the school, and DoDDS School Information Guides