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US Department of Defense Domestic Education Schools Stateside (DDESS) and their alumni groups listed by state

Dependent schools on U.S. military installations in the United States and its territories have existed since the early 19th century.  West Point Elementary School was established in 1816 as the first one.  In most cases, the schools were the responsibility of the military posts/bases where they were located.

In 1950, Congress passed legislation that placed the schools under the authority of the U.S. Commissioner of Education, later the Secretary of Education.  They became know as Sections 7 schools, named for the part of the law that provided jurisdiction for them.  In 1981, new legislation transferred this responsibility to the Department of Defense.  In 1994, another public law replaced the Section 6 school system and renamed it as the Department of Defense Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools or by its better know acronym, DDESS.

The number of Section 6/DDESS schools has fluctuated since they were founded, peaking at nearly 100 schools.  Presently, there are 70 DDESS schools, including the schools in Puerto Rico, Guam, and Cuba.

These links are neither endorsed, supported or recommended by the American Overseas Schools Historical Society.  They are provided as a possible resource to assist those of you still searching for friends and classmates.  If you have information which you would like added to these listings, corrections or comments, please contact Glenn Greenwood, Communications Director at aoshscom@wichita.edu.