Education

Misawa AB has two DoDEA facilities: Sollars Elementary School and Edgren Middle / High School. Further information is available on each of these schools in their respective section.

Please visit the DODEA website for more information about DoDEA and Misawa Schools. 

To learn about Accreditation by the State, visit the website.

Entrance Requirements

DoDEA has changed its Early Childhood Education programs entrance requirements for all DoD Schools. Age requirement are:

• Pre-Kindergarten Programs, a child must be 4 years of age by September 1.
• Kindergarten Programs, a child must be 5 years of age by September 1.
• First Grade, a child must be 6 years of age by September 1. 

If you have any questions about exceptions, contact DoDEA.

Number of schools

• 1 Elementary School
• 1 Middle/High School

Bus service 

Eligibility for DoDEA-provided transportation is based on where a family is quartered. Before selecting a house, be sure to check the location of the nearest established school bus stop on the large maps available at the Housing Referral Office and the schools. School Bus service is available for off-base students and middle/high school students living in the North Base Area. The DoDEA Pacific East District Superintendent's Office - Transportation Branch, Misawa Student Transportation Office administers school bus transportation for Misawa AB. The Misawa Student Transportation Office (STO) will register authorized students, issue bus passes and assign students to buses, as well as manage all other aspects of school bus operations. Please call DSN 315-226-9119 or 315-226-2745, or email Misawa.STO@pac.dodea.edu for more information.

Meals 

The Exchange (formerly AAFES) provides lunch to students attending Misawa AB schools. Children who qualify under USDA guidelines may be eligible for lunch either free of charge or at a reduced rate.  To apply, complete the Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application and drop it and a copy of the member’s Leave and Earning Statement off in the locked box located at the Customer Service Counter at the Base Exchange.  If your spouse is also employed, a wage earning statement is required for the spouse as well. Applications are available in the main office of each school and at the Base Exchange. Contact the School Liaison with any questions or for additional information at DSN 315-226-0403.

Before and After School Programs

• School Age Program operates before and after school care for children ages 5-12
• Lunney Youth Center offers after school activities for children ages 9-12
• Misawa Teen Center offers after school activities for ages 13 and up
• Each school has robust extra-curricular activities:        
• Elementary - band, chess club, study club, Japanese culture classes, etc.
• High School - drama, band, choir, yearbook, ROTC, and a variety of sports
• Each school has classes for gifted and talented students.  For information on services for children with exceptional needs, please see the topic area for Education: Special Needs

School Sports Programs Available

• Fall: volleyball, football, tennis, cheerleading, cross country
• Winter: basketball (boys and girls), wrestling, cheerleading
• Spring: soccer (boys and girls), baseball, softball, track

Exceptional Children Programs

Learning Specialists work with students in conjunction with the school nurse, faculty, Misawa AB schools' psychologist, Educational Developmental Intervention Services staff (EDIS), and the community. Students receiving assistance include those with achievement difficulties, memory or perceptual problems, or other learning difficulties.  Sollars Elementary School is also staffed with trained counselors, English as a Second Language (ESL) instructors, and speech pathologists.  Additionally, the Talented and Gifted (TAG) Gifted Education Program, in which teachers work with students to achieve optimum development of skills and mastery of knowledge by conducting assigned subject matter or grade-level(s) instruction within the school is offered.

There are two DoDEA schools on Misawa AB: one elementary school and one middle/high school:

• Sollars Elementary School is located on the Main Base (grade levels: PreK-6)
• Edgren High School is located on the Main Base (grade levels: 7-12)

Home Schooling -  The host unit for Misawa, Japan is required to report on the status of all school-aged children. This report includes a count of those students enrolled in home school programs. Accordingly, the 35th Fighter Wing School Liaison Officer will collect registration information on all students. The data collected will be controlled subject to all Privacy Act and For Official Use Only protocols. If your child is enrolled in a home school program, please contact the 35th Fighter Wing School Liaison Officer once you arrive to Misawa. DSN: 315-226-0403.

If you want your child to enroll in Japanese Public schools, you have to talk to the Misawa Board of Education. They will set up an interview to speak to your child. In the interview, they will make sure that your children speak and read primary Japanese to ensure they can keep up with classes in school. Also, families are recommended to have a Japanese translator.

Preschool

Preschool is an educational program designed to help pre-kindergarten children (4 years of age prior to 1 September) to get ready for school. Preschool classes will be available for all qualifying children School Year 24-25. Contact Sollars ES for more information: 315-226-3933.

Elementary

School starts at the end of August and goes until the middle of June. Call schools for more specific dates. Misawa AB has one elementary school, Sollars Elementary, which is located on the Main Base (Grade Levels: PreK through 6). The enrollment size at Sollars is approximately 670 students. The pupil/teacher ratio is roughly 20 students per teacher for grades Pre-K through 3^rd and 23 students per teacher in grades 4-6^th.

All DoDEA students in Grades 3-11 are administered the College and Career Ready Summative Assessment during the second semester. Academic subjects tested include reading, math, social studies, science, and language arts.

Registration Process

Required Documentation:

1. Immunization Certificate.  All students must have their immunizations updated and certified by the immunization personnel at the Misawa AB Hospital.  School Officials require DoDEA Certificate of Immunization Form/DSPA 122.1 (Jan 94) at the time of registration. This form can be obtained at the school office. Contact the Immunization Clinic, DSN 315-226-6192 for more information.
2. Passport or Birth Certificate (pre-K, kindergarten and first grade only).
3. Orders. Copy of Sponsor's orders with children listed as command-sponsored family members.  For Navy personnel, in addition to PSC orders, you must also have dependent entry approval/Eligibility for DoDEA Form in order to register.
4. DEROS Verification.
5. Academic Records. Previous school records or address of previous school in case in-processing school needs to request records/additional.  Include an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and any other supporting documentation if eligible for special education or other services.
6. Student's Social Security Number.  The student's social security is needed to complete registration.  If you have forgotten your child's SSN, contact the Military Personnel Flight Customer Service Office (Bldg 653), DSN 315-226- 3962 for assistance or if you have not applied for a SSN for your child, contact the Legal Office (Bldg 656) at DSN 315-226-4022 for assistance.
7. Emergency Point of Contact.  Emergency contact information is required to complete the registration process. Newly arriving families often do not know anyone at their gaining base.  Many parents list supervisors, commanders or sponsors when they first arrive, and update their emergency POC once settled.

Middle School/High School -- School starts at the end of August and goes until the middle of June.  Call the school for more specific dates.  Edgren High School is the only middle and high school serving grades 7th -12th, on the base.  The enrollment size at Edgren is approximately 350 students.  The pupil/teacher ratio is roughly 18 students per teacher. For more information call DSN 315-226-4377. 

Registration Process/Required Documentation:

1. Immunization Certificate.  All students must have their immunizations updated and certified by the immunization personnel at the Misawa AB Hospital. School Officials require DoDEA Certificate of Immunization Form/DSPA 122.1 (Jan 94) at the time of registration.  This form can be obtained at the school office. Contact the Immunization Clinic, DSN 315-226-6192 for more information.
2. Passport or Birth Certificate (Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade only).
3. Orders.  Copy of Sponsor's orders with children listed as command-sponsored family members.  Navy personnel: Beside PCS Orders must have dependent entry approval/Eligibility for DoDEA Form in order to register.
4. DEROS Verification.
5. Academic Records.  Previous school records or address of previous school in case in-processing school needs to request records/additional.  Include an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and any other supporting documentation if eligible for special education or other services.
6. Student's Social Security Number.  The student's social security is needed to complete registration  If you have forgotten your child's SSN, contact the Military Personnel Flight Customer Service (Bldg 653), DSN 315-226-3962 for assistance.  If you have not applied for a SSN for your child; contact the Legal Office (Bldg 656) at DSN 315-226-4022 for assistance.
7. Emergency Point of Contact.  Emergency contact information is required to complete the registration process.  Newly arriving families often do not know anyone at their gaining base.  Many parents list supervisors, commanders or sponsors when they first arrive, and update their emergency POC once settled.

The Misawa AB Education and Training Office offers education counseling, information about college courses both locally and online, assistance with enlisted commissioning options, information about SkillBridge and GI Bill® programs. Services are available to all service members, civilians, spouses, and dependents.

There are multiple resources that may be available, based on your eligibility, to assist you with funding your educational pursuits including military or civilian Tuition Assistance programs, GI Bill® benefits, federal aid programs, scholarships, and reduced tuition costs for military members/family members.

Base Universities

During your stay in Misawa, you can meet with a local university representative to discuss your educational goals. Degree options include associate, bachelor, and master's degrees as well as certificate programs in various disciplines. University offices located on the installation include:

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
DSN: 315-226-2723 / Cell Phone: 011-81-176-77-2723

Email: misawa@erau.edu

University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
DSN: 315-226-8290 / Cell Phone: 011-81-176-77-8290

Email: misawa-asia@umgc.edu

Testing

You may be able to earn college credit for what you already know by taking college-level subject credit exams. The UMGC National Testing Center offers CLEP, DSST, and Pearson Vue testing by appointment. Contact misawa-ntc-asia@umgc.edu for scheduling.

Military tests including Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT), Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT), Weighted Airmen Promotion System (WAPS) testing, and others are provided by the Education Office.

For more information contact:

Misawa Education and Training Services

Building 653 Room 203

DSN: 315-226-4201

Cell Phone: 011-81-176-77-4201

MisawaEducationOffice@us.af.mil

Preschool 

To enroll your child in Japanese preschool families are required to have a Japanese translator (or Japanese friends) who can speak both Japanese and English for the family to understand what's going on in their children's school. Be sure to plan in advance if this is what you want to do. The schools fill up fast and you may need to wait for a spot.

The following are the pre-schools that routinely accept American students:

• Dai Ichi Yoochien: For ages 3-5 years old. There are application fees, monthly fees, transportation fees and other miscellaneous supply fees that apply. If interested, call CIV from CONUS 011-81-176-53-6747.
• Misawa Catholic Yoochien: There are application fees, monthly fees, transportation fees and other miscellaneous supply fees that apply. If interested, call CIV from CONUS 011-81-176-53-2312.

Japanese Public School 

Contact the Misawa Board of Education as a starting point to enroll students in Japanese Public schools. They will set up an interview to speak to your child. In the interview, they will make sure that your children speak and read primary Japanese to ensure they can keep up with classes in school.

Grading System

Elementary Grading System

The DoDEA report card for Kindergarten and First Grade is broken down into 4 major areas: 1) Language Arts/Reading; 2) Mathematics; 3) Life Skills/Social Development; and 4) Motor Development. The "Marking Code" for these areas is as follows: 

• CD = Consistently Displayed
• P = Developing/Progressing
• N = Not Yet Evident
• X = Not Addressed

The areas of Art, Music, Physical Education, and Host Nation (Japanese Culture & Language) have a "Marking Code" of:

• P = Participates
• + = Shows Strength
•  / = More Participation Needed

The DoDEA report card for Grades 2 and 3 is the same format (or card) except that in the academic subjects (following Mathematics) there are an additional three areas: Social Studies, Science, and Health. The DoDEA report card for Grades 4, 5, & 6 is broken down into the same areas, except that letter grades are given:

• A = Excellent
• B = Very good
• C = Good
• D = Minimal
• F = Failing

On all three report cards, there is a "Comments" section for the teacher to clarify or elaborate on the student's progress/achievement.

Middle School/High School Grading System

• A = 90-100
• B = 80-89
• C = 70-79
• D = 60-69
• F = 59 and below

On the report card there is no differentiation between an A, A- or A+. However, all grades for any A will be counted as 4 points in the final grade point average in DoDEA. If a student received a 90% as a grade he/she would get an A-, but they would still acquire 4 points toward their GPA.