consulted in advance and given reasons for such decisions, so that the best possible alternative arrangements for the good of the students can be made. We do not appreciate being faced with a fait accompli. We would like to place on record the fact that the ACSS Administration has been associated with a significant improvement in the quality of educational program offerings in recent years, and has made the best of the deplorable physical plant conditions in the Middle School at Fort Buchanan.

However, the parents would welcome

much greater efforts on the part of the ACSS Administration to inform and consult us on the changes in the school curriculum and the services before final decisions are made.

4. The Parents - Parents have been discouraged to unite in an organization to actively work for a better Middle School building. The Privacy Act has prevented us from obtaining names, addresses, and telephone numbers from either the school offices or the classroom teachers. In March 1977, we were told that all notices sent home with children on school busses had to be approved by the school board (Admiral Flanagan); only salaried personnel of ACSS could submit notices for approval. Many parents have been hesitant to actively exercise their democratic right to help work for improved school conFrequently, rumors flourish that by engaging in such activity, we may be place our positions or our husbands' positions in jeopardy.

ditions.

There is a marked contrast between the responsiveness of

the administrations of public schools in the continental United States to the advice and desires of the parents of their students, and the total lack of responsiveness of the administration and school board of the Antilles Consolidated School System. We have indicated above some ways in which this situation could be remedied.

CONCLUSIONS - In conclusion, our children's well-being and education are vital concerns. The ACS makes it possible for us to live and work Rico. Our children are receiving a good English language education and preparation for transfer or eventual return to stateside

in Puerto Rico.

schools.

We have described several of the problems experienced by students, parents, and the teachers at ACS. For ACS to continue to be a recruitment incentive for Federal personnel coming to Puerto Rico, these conditions require improvement and immediate action. and immediate action. For eleven years ACS has been unable to obtain a desperately needed new school. Our children are the potential leaders of America and deserve better school facilities than they have been forced to accept. As parents, we are not interested in additional fact-finding teams to assess and place the responsibility or blame for this inattention to one of our children's most basic needs. We need action.

RECOMMENDATIONS

We need the HEW Office of Education to approve

a new school for the Antilles Consolidated Schools at Fort Buchanan.

We need Congress to appropriate the required funds to construct this school. And we need the ACSS Board, Council, and Administration to do their part in securing a new school for our children.

As parents and taxpayers who support ACS, we want our schools to function economically and efficiently in the best interests of our children with open communication between administration, teachers, and parents. There are two ways this can be achieved. 1. Expand the school board and school council to have Federal agency representation proportionate with civilian

enrollment.

2. Enlarge and strengthen the parents' organization.

As parents we plan to enroll interested parents in our orga→ nization during registration on 8 August 1977. With names and addresses we can send a parents organization newsletter announcing our meetings, ACS calendar of monthly events, and suggestions of ways in which we can cooperate with ACS for the educational benefit and enrichment of our children. It is our hope to involve the school administration, teachers and parents working together for the continued improvement of our children's education.

Thank you very much for your interest and cooperation, and we are now free to answer any questions which you may have.

[Attachments to statement of Mrs. Moore follow:]

TABLE 1

CONTRIBUTION OF MILITARY AND CIVILIAN FEDERAL AGENCIES
TO STUDENT ENROLLMENT AT ANTILLES CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS,
FORT BUCHANAN, PUERTO RICO.

**Including qualifying dependents from 52 Federal agencies in the

San Juan area.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

FACT SHEET ON THE ANTILLES MIDDLE SCHOOL

Antilles Middle School (AMS) is located in Fort Buchanan,
Puerto Rico.

AMS is made up of 637 students in grades 5-8.

AMS is part of the Antilles Consolidated School System (ACSS) which is operated by the U.S. Office of Education; funded by HEW and run by the U.S. Navy.

The classes at AMS have been housed in 36 year old temporary barracks, on loan from the Army, since 1966.

These barracks/classrooms are termite-ridden, bat and rat infested. They have been a safety and health hazard to our students and teachers for the past 10 years.

These barracks have been declared unsafe by the Army engineers and will be destroyed this summer.

The U.S. Army owns these buildings, so they are not responsible for their repair and upkeep for the purpose of classroom use.

HEW is the agency responsible for providing classrooms to the Antilles Consolidated School System, but since these buildings are not owned by HEW, there is no money available for repair work, even if this were feasible.

The students attending the Antilles Consolidated School.
System (ACSS) are eligible by virtue of Subsection 6(c)
of Public Law 81-874.

Section 6 of Public Law 874 states that eligible students must be provided an education comparable to that provided in the public schools of the District of Columbia, whose system is financed by Congress.

Two thirds (2/3) of the students at the school are from nonmilitary families (i.e.: the father works for the federal government and is subject to transfer). Generally these families live off base and the children are bussed to school.

The enrollment at ACSS has stabilized since 1972, and there is no reason to anticipate a downward trend.

In 1966 an application was submitted to the U.S. Office of Education for a new junior-senior high school. Final plans and specifications were approved on October 21, 1969. The