Antilles ES: About Our School

Antilles ES 21st Century Facility

Antilles Elementary School is a beautiful and modern architectural structure. The building was built to facilitate 21st century learning, and contains the latest features in flexibility, adaptability, sustainability, and energy conservation. It is the beginning of a transformation process in the type of education AES Faculty and Staff Members are committed to provide in order to help generate students who are competitive in our global world.

The facility is a two floor structure with Pre-Kindergarten, Kinder, First and Second grades on the first floor, and Third, Fourth and Fifth grades on the second floor. Each hallway has a distinctive color above its entrance and are called "Streets". The Streets are composed of "Neighborhoods" that contain "Hubs" and "Learning Studios", which are learning environments that cater to 21st century education which differs greatly from the traditional school classroom. It provides educators and students with the opportunity to experiment with the flexibility in space, moveable furniture, and technology.

English as a Second Language (ESL), Special Education (SP ED) and related services personnel are housed in the Neighborhoods according to the grade level they provide services for. Gifted Resource, Health Provider, Psychologist, Counselors, and Speech Assessor are located on the first floor. Each specialist (Art, Intercultural Ed, Music, Physical Education) have their separate dedicated areas. Also located on the first floor are the Principal, Assistant Principal and related staff members including secretaries in the main office. The Information Center is equipped with modern technology to include a TV Production Studio. The new facility has a state of the art kitchen and provides breakfast and lunch to students and employees.

Antilles ES History

Prior to 1950, our Antilles School System was small and operated as a regular dependent’s school by the different military branches and were called The Antilles Dependent School. During school years 1952-1953 we became known as the Antilles Consolidated Schools (ACS) which included schools at the Naval Station in Miramar, San Juan; the Fort Buchanan Schools; Camp Losey in Cayey and Roosevelt Roads in Ceiba. Antilles Elementary School was established in November 1955 as part of the Antilles Consolidated Schools System. The organization and operation of the school system was under the direct command of the Tenth Naval District. At present, Antilles Elementary School is part of DoDEA Americas Mid-Atlantic District and has an enrollment of approximately 700 (as of 4/25/2018) students from Pre-K to 5th grade, under the leadership of Lydia Blazquez as school principal.

Our Community

Antilles Elementary School is located in Fort Buchanan, a unique community located in the very heart of the San Juan metropolitan area. Fort Buchanan serves a population of over 104,000 military and civilian personnel, veterans, retirees and their family members. Its economic impact on the island is estimated at over 160 million annually. Its 746 acres (with a real estate value of some  approximately $560 million), house an ever growing joint community that  includes Active and Reserve Component units as well as other Department of Defense and federal organizations. Today, Fort Buchanan is the only Department of Defense installation in the Caribbean Basin area.

For more information see DoDEA Americas Puerto Rico Community.