After just weeks, DODEA scraps extended schedule for schools on Okinawa

A large group of students with backpacks gather outside a two-story school building with “DRAGONFIRE” signage in teal and purple letters above the entrance.

Students return for the first day of school at Kubasaki High School on Camp Foster, Okinawa, Aug. 18, 2025. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Students, teachers and staff at Defense Department schools on Okinawa will get back the 20 minutes tacked onto their school days this year, according to a notice sent to parents Friday.

Department of Defense Education Activity-Pacific reversed its decision to extend the school day, based on “what we’ve learned” since the change took effect with the new school year, Pacific South superintendent Melissa Hayes wrote in the letter.

In July, DODEA announced it would add 20 minutes to the school day, an annual increase of 58 instructional hours, to 13 schools on the island.

“As with any change, we have closely monitored its impact, gathering feedback from families, staff, and students,” Hayes wrote. “Based on what we’ve learned, we’ve determined that the best course of action is to revert to our previous school schedules.”

The schools will revert to their previous schedules starting Oct. 23, the beginning of the second quarter, according to the letter posted Friday on the MCCS Okinawa — School Liaison Officer Facebook page.

The decision to extend the school day brought Okinawa schools in line with others across DODEA, spokeswoman Miranda Ferguson said at the time. The school day on the island had been shorter on average than those in other districts.

The average school day on Okinawa will revert to six hours, 19 minutes.

By comparison, the average school day on Japan’s main island of Honshu is six hours, 35 minutes, while schools in South Korea and Guam average six hours, 36 minutes, Ferguson said in July.

More than 6,000 students — the children of U.S. service members and civilian Defense Department employees — attend DODEA schools on Okinawa.

The Okinawa Student Transportation Office will email new bus stop arrival times to families, Hayes wrote in the letter. “School-specific impacts” will be shared before the Oct. 23 change.

“Our leadership team is committed to using both qualitative and quantitative data to guide our decisions,” Hayes wrote. “We value the voices of our community and appreciate the input that helped inform this adjustment.”

Ferguson did not immediately respond to email and phone inquiries on Friday.