A study on whether the Defense Department needs to continue to operate schools for dependent children on military installations in the continental U.S. is complete and under review by defense officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No decisions have been made on the results of the study, said Thomas Brady, director of the Department of Defense Education Activity, which operates 56 schools in seven states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study was directed two years ago by DoD’s comptroller and Cost Analysis and Program Evaluation offices, and conducted through a $905,000 contract with the Rand Corp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I think the environment has changed significantly from when CAPE directed this study,” Brady said. ” From my perch at DoDEA, I look at all the work that [Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Brad Carson] has already started in terms of Force of the Future, and his total dedication to making DoD go to the 21st century, and adopt smart ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I’m not sure where that (schools) study will fit into all this.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DoDEA was not mentioned in the department’s “Force of the Future” draft report, which Brady said he considers “a compliment \u2014 that we are cutting edge and we’re doing what we need to do. We’ve adopted best practices.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that Carson is a great supporter of DoDEA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Rand study did not make recommendations, but rather looked at options, Brady said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“If you look at options, I suppose you could make a business case that perhaps there could be some savings in money if we eliminated ‘X’ number of schools and the staffs associated with them,” he said. “It makes sense, on the surface, on a blank sheet of paper. But then you put real-life stuff involved, and you’re transferring many military children to local school districts that in most places don’t have enough to take care of their own needs, let alone additional military children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Then it gets complicated. Then it gets to the performance level of various districts versus DoDEA, the comfort level of parents, local politicians, senators … it gets remarkably complicated,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another issue, he said, is whether any potential “savings” are truly that, or merely a transfer of a standing financial requirement to another agency. “Theoretically, if it were $10 that DoD wasn’t spending any more on education, that $10 doesn’t go away. Would it be transferred to states? To the Department of Education?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It’s certainly not pocketed by the Department of Defense so that you could buy a new jet with it,” while the education of military children would remain a requirement, he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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