USAG-CASEY, South Korea — Exterior photo of the new Casey Elementary School located on USAG-Casey. (Photo by DoDDS Korea/Released)

DONGDUCHEON, SOUTH KOREA — August 5, 2010 — The new Casey Elementary School established on United States Army Garrison Casey was officially handed over to the Department of Defense Dependents Schools Korea District on Aug. 2.
USAG-Casey, located approximately 40 miles north of Seoul, is home to the first-ever DoDDS school in Area I of South Korea. The school represents clear progress in welcoming more military families to South Korea through the United States Forces Korea tour normalization initiative.

The Kindergarten through eighth-grade school is being outfitted with books, desks, materials, sports equipment and technology in preparation for the arrival of faculty, support staff and eager students at the end of August according to DoDEA Korea officials. The school will also offer a pre-kindergarten program called Sure Start to the children of eligible sponsors.

Casey ES is led by 20-year teaching and school administration veteran Shelly Kennedy. Kennedy has been on the ground to oversee the final stages of construction, staffing and outfitting since March.

“Casey Elementary School is a phenomenal learning environment” said Kennedy, “I can’t wait to open the doors and welcome the entire community inside to celebrate together.”

School officials anticipate that all 250 available seats will be filled as the new school year begins Monday, Aug. 30. Preparations for a phase II addition are already underway to accommodate an additional 250 students in time for the 2011-2012 school year.

DoDDS Korea Superintendent Dr. Irby Miller said “Casey Elementary School is an important milestone in our partnership with USFK and installation commanders to support tour normalization efforts across the Korean peninsula.”

Casey ES is comprised of major renovations to building S-2400 on USAG-Casey which previously served as barracks. The approximately $5M, 30,000 square-foot renovation provides state-of-the-art education facilities for military families living in Area I. Features include modern classrooms with interactive white-boards, a 2:1 computer-to-student ratio, cutting-edge computer and science labs, large information center, and ample parking for employees and visitors.

The school also represents environmental stewardship through the use of sustainable design concepts to meet Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED) Standard Silver level requirements.   
Senior officials of USFK and DoD schools will join the Area I community at Casey ES for a 10 a.m. dedication and open-house on September 15.

About USAG-Casey
Camp Casey was named and officially dedicated in 1952 in memory of Maj. Hugh B. Casey, who died in a plane crash here in December 1951.
Casey arrived in Korea in 1951 as a Second Lieutenant, and served as a company commander in the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. He received the Distinguished Service Cross—the nation's second highest award for valor—for heroism at the Hungnam beachhead.

About DoDEA Pacific
Department of Defense Education Activity Pacific provides a comprehensive preK-12 education to the children of military and eligible civilian personnel families serving throughout Asia. The 48 schools in DoDEA Pacific are comprised of approximately 24,200 students and 4,200 professional educators and support staff. The schools are geographically organized into four districts: Guam, Japan, Okinawa and South Korea.