By the Numbers: 5 October 2020

By the Numbers: 5 October 2020

About 70,000

The number of children enrolled in Department of Defense Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS), according to a recently updated CRS In Focus Report -- DOD Domestic School System: Background and Issues.
 
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) manages a federal school system that provides pre- kindergarten through grade 12 education, primarily for the children of military servicemembers. According to the Department of Defense (DOD), in 2020, DODEA operated 160 schools globally, including 50 domestic schools across states and one virtual school. These schools employ nearly 12,000 staff, for a student population of about 70,000. DODEA also has arrangements with local education authorities (LEAs) that operate civilian-managed schools on military installations. This report focuses only on DODEA’s domestic school system.