News Release

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 27, 2002
Contact: Martha Deutscher
DoDEA Office of Communications
Voice: (703) 588-3265
Email: Martha.Deutscher@hq.dodea.edu

Study of DoD Domestic Schools to Begin

ARLINGTON, VA—Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Director Dr. Joseph Tafoya today announced the selection of the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute as the contractor to conduct an Operating and Transfer Costs Study as part of the Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS) Transfer Study. The University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute will be conducting an analysis of the operational costs to operate each of the DDESS schools in the continental United States and will project the costs of transferring each school to its respective Local Education Agency (LEA). The study will also include a survey of both local and state education agencies (SEA's) that would be impacted by this study. The cost for this part of the study is approximately $1.15 million. A pilot instrument for the study is scheduled to be developed by Jan 03 using the NY/VA DDESS District schools as the test site for the instrument.

       An additional part of the DDESS Transfer Study, a Facility Assessment Survey, is being undertaken by Parkhill, Smith, & Cooper, Inc. through a sub-contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This part of the study is designed to determine the physical condition of each DDESS school, and estimate construction and/or renovation costs that may be required to bring them up to Federal, state and local regulations of the adjacent LEA. The cost for this part of the study is approximately $450,000. A pilot instrument for the study is scheduled to be developed by Nov 02 using the NY/VA DDESS District schools as the test site for the survey instrument. Dr. Tafoya has indicated that both phases of the DDESS Transfer Study are projected to be completed within the next 15 months. This study has been designed to provide an objective costbenefit analysis of the DDESS program as currently configured and operated.

       Dr. Tafoya emphasized that DoDEA will release no findings and has drawn no conclusions in advance of the study's completion and it continues to fully support what is in the best interest of DoDEA students, their families, and the most cost effective approach to providing them with the very best educational services.