About Our School
Mission
Educate, Engage, and Empower military-connected students to succeed in a dynamic world.
Vision
Excellence in Education for Every Student, Every Day, Everywhere
School History
Rota Elementary School opened in 1954. At that time, the school was a one-room building located in a field near the tiny fishing village of Rota, Spain, with a total enrollment of 28 students in kindergarten through twelfth grades.
School buildings in the present housing area were first occupied in September 1958. In August of 2004, the elementary school moved into a new modern school facility.
From the initial 28 students, the enrollment steadily grew to a peak of approximately 1,300 students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade and 750 in grades seventh through twelfth. With the withdrawal of all nuclear submarine support facilities in 1978, the enrollment declined. Current enrollment for the elementary school is approximately 400 students.Â
Rota Elementary School is named in honor of David Glasgow Farragut, the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and full admiral of the United States Navy. James Farragut was the son of a Spanish immigrant to the United States. After the death of his father, Farragut was adopted by a family friend, US Navy Captain David Porter, who wanted to give young James the benefit of an education and the opportunities of a naval career. Later, James changed his name to David to honor his adoptive father. David Glasgow Farragut was the first senior officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.
There is a famous order attributed to Farragut at the Battle ofMobile Bay. The bay was heavily mined. The mines were tethered and known as torpedoes at that time. Farragut ordered his fleet to charge the bay,and when he was warned about the torpedoes that had already sunk at least oneship, he famously replied, "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!"Mobile Bay was the Confederates' last major port open on the Gulf of Mexico,and Farragut and his fleet won a great victory that day for the United States.
Even though the school's official DoDEA name is Rota Elementary School, the name in the Rota community has always been David Glasgow Farragut Elementary School.
