Bahrain School

Private school

The Bahrain School

Location

Al Ghurafaiyah Building 540 Area 342 Road 4225
Juffair, Manama, Bahrain

Information
Type| Private
Established| 1967 (58 years ago) (1967)
CEEB code| 563100
Principal| Allison Peltz (Elementary school)
Shana D. Seawright (Middle/High school)
Color(s)| Purple and gold

Mascot| Eagles (Elementary school)
Falcons (Middle/High school)
Website| bahrainmhs.dodea.edu

Bahrain School is a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school located in Juffair, Manama, Bahrain.

## Overview

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The school is operated by the Bahrain International School Association (BISA) with the United States Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and takes students from Kindergarten to Twelfth grade. Graduating seniors can earn an American diploma and from 1982 to 2023 an International Baccalaureate Diploma.

Bahrain School is the only DoDEA school in the Persian Gulf area. The closest DoDEA school to Bahrain School is George C. Marshall School in Ankara, Turkey. It provides education primarily to the children of the United States Navy stationed in Bahrain, but historically, about half of the student body has been local enrollment, usually the dependents of diplomatic personnel and ARAMCO employees, as well as wealthy Bahraini citizens. The Navy dependent population declined in July 2004 when dependents were sent home due to security concerns. In July 2009, dependents were again authorized to return to Bahrain.

As of 2013, there were 435 total students enrolled in both the middle and high schools, with 69% of the students in grades 10 to 12. 57% of the students at the time were American citizens, with the remaining 43% representing approximately 68 countries.

Also as of 2013, the middle and high school employed forty-three teachers, seven supporting professionals, and seven support staff for a total of fifty-seven teachers and staff. Of those, eighteen were male and thirty-nine were female.

In 2024 a rain storm damaged the school, and so it closed for three weeks.[1] Jim Banks (R-Indiana) sponsored an addition to a bill stating that US military employees in Bahrain could instead use money from the federal government to send their children to private schools. Banks cited the rainstorm and accused the school of "struggling with poor teaching" and "[celebrating] a notorious antisemite."[2] The addition was removed from the bill in 2024.[2]

In 2025, High tensions between Iran and Israel caused security risks in the region, prompting dependents, including children who are enrolled to The Bahrain School to be evacuated to a "save haven," where they could enroll into a new school if the situation stays the same. Students are expected to not unenroll from Bahrain School, as dependents will return to normal in school operations when the situation deescalates.[3]

## Accreditation

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Bahrain School is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to offer an American diploma. The College Board authorizes Bahrain School to offer Advanced Placement courses: Calculus AB, Microeconomics, Chemistry, Physics, and Spanish. On March 1, 1982, the school became the first in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the second in the Middle East after the American International School in Amman, Jordan in 1981, to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma under the accreditation of the International Baccalaureate Organization.[4]

## Sports

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Bahrain School has many of the sports that typical American schools have such as basketball, soccer, baseball, volleyball, track and field and cross country. The school competes against other schools on the island. Since the school is a part of DoDDS Europe, they also compete in the DODDS European championships.

## Notable alumni

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* Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, The Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Deputy Supreme Commander of the Bahrain Defence Force.
* Brent Brandon, Outstanding Graduate from the United States Air Force Academy, Two-year winner of the National John F. Kennedy Fellowship - Harvard University, Winner of the Gilroy Award for Leadership and Flying - USAF Electronic Warfare Officer School, Nominated for Silver Star and awarded Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism in Aerial Combat in EF-111 aircraft on first wave attack in Desert Storm; chairman of the Board - Boise Classical Academy
* Summer Bishil, American Independent Spirit Award-nominated actress.
* Shakira, Colombian-Lebanese singer-songwriter

## See also

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* Bahrain portal
* United States portal
* Schools portal

* List of schools in Bahrain

## References

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1. ^ Renfroe, Shannon (2024-05-03). "DODEA school in Bahrain reopens following damage from historic storm". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
2. ^ a b Svan, Jennifer H. (2024-12-09). "DODEA Bahrain school choice plan floated by Republican lawmaker axed from final defense bill". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
3. ^ "Breaking down the US military's departure plan for families in Bahrain". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
4. ^ Bahrain School, International Baccalaureate Organization.

## External links

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* Bahrain School website

* v
* t
* e

International schools in Bahrain

American system|

* Bahrain Bayan School
* Al Raja School
* Bahrain School
* Ibn Khuldoon National School

British system|

* Abdulrahman Kanoo International School
* Awali School
* British School of Bahrain
* Sacred Heart School (Bahrain)
* St Christopher's School, Bahrain

French system|

* French International School of Bahrain

Indian system|

* Indian School, Bahrain

Japanese system|

* The Japanese School in Bahrain

Pakistani system|

* Pakistan School
* Pakistan Urdu School

International Baccalaureate system|

* Naseem International School

Other systems|

* Al Noor International School
* International School of Choueifat

* v
* t
* e

Bahrain–United States relations

Diplomatic posts|

* Embassy of Bahrain, Washington, D.C.
* Ambassadors of Bahrain to the United States
* Embassy of the United States, Manama
* Ambassadors of the United States to Bahrain
* Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs

Diplomacy|

* Bahrain–United States Free Trade Agreement
* Abraham Accords
* Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement
* Arab–Israeli alliance
* Negev Summit

Military relations|

* Bahraini Guantanamo Bay detainees
* Bahrain School
* Naval Support Activity Bahrain
* Major non-NATO ally
* International Maritime Security Construct
* American Mission Hospital

Category:Bahrain–United States relations

* v
* t
* e

Department of Defense Education Activity
Department of Defense Dependents Schools

E. Asia/Pacific|

* Guam HS
* Kadena HS
* Ernest J. King MHS
* Nile C. Kinnick HS
* Kubasaki HS
* Yokota HS

| Closed|

* Seoul American HS

|

Europe/Mideast|

* Alconbury MHS
* Ankara E/HS
* Aviano M/HS
* Bahrain
* Brussels EHS
* Kaiserslautern HS
* Naples M/HS
* Ramstein HS
* SHAPE HS
* Stuttgart HS
* Wiesbaden HS (H. H. Arnold)

| Closed|

* Bonn American HS
* Frankfurt American HS
* Heidelberg HS
* London Central EHS
* Munich American HS
* Alexander M. Patch American HS

|

North America|

* Fort Knox M/HS
* Lejeune HS
* Quantico M/HS
* W.T. Sampson E/HS

| Closed|

* Balboa HS

|

This list is incomplete.
Some DoDEA communities in the United States are zoned to non-DoDEA public schools for middle school and high school or for high school.
See also: Template:Bureau of Indian Education (federal Native American school system)
Template:Defence Children Services (British military school system)
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