KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — Overcrowding at some schools and low enrollment at others forced Okinawa’s Department of Defense Schools officials to rezone the school district, they said.

That means elementary school students who live in Camp Foster’s Plaza Housing area won’t have familiar surroundings or faces when they start the 2004-2005 school year in the fall.

More than 100 students from Zukeran Elementary School will be shifted to Kadena’s Stearley Heights Elementary in the move, said Henry Meyer, Department of Defense Dependents’ Schools Okinawa communications officer.

Zukeran exceeds its enrollment limit by nine students and Stearley Heights is under its enrollment limit by 250, officials said.

Meyer said the move would balance out the schools’ enrollments.

“We’re doing this for the kids,” he said. “We don’t gain any teachers; it just benefits the kids. They’ll get more one-on-one time with the teachers.

“Of course parents have concerns and we understand, but we have to fix the problem,” he said. “We’re going to try and do everything we can to make this as painless as possible.”

Marine Col. Brian Vincent, assistant chief of staff for Facilities Engineer on Camp Foster, said he understands the need for change but stressed that Stearley Heights will be the third school for his daughter in as many years.

Vincent said although his daughter’s new school has a good reputation, he has a problem with making his daughter switch schools yet again.

“My child just left her school and friends in Camp Lejeune,” he said of the North Carolina base. “Now she’s going to have to go to a new school and make new friends … I think it’s wrong.”

The Okinawa District Advisory Council’s Zoning Committee had eight options to consider, Meyer said, adding that moving students from Camp Foster to Kadena was the most obvious and had the least amount of impact on students.

The decision first was announced to parents at a March 18 Superintendent’s Forum. Meyer said about 60 parents voiced concerns and made suggestions.

Among ideas receiving DODDS follow-up is having a Stearley Heights open house so students can see the new school and meet the staff, he said, adding that DODDS also is working to group the Plaza Housing students in the same classes next year.

He said when the students are ready to enter middle school, they’ll be able to choose either staying in Kadena schools or returning to their old classmates.

“It’s traumatic, so we want to make it easy,” Meyer said.

Vincent said the school district is willing to hear parents’ ideas.

“I believe that DODDS is taking our suggestions to heart, and that is very helpful,” Vincent said. He added that parents who attended the meeting are waiting to have some of their questions answered this week.

In another change, classes at Stearley Heights will start at 7:30 a.m., not the current 8 a.m. Meyer said this will help transferring students maintain their current schedule; Zukeran already starts at 7:30 a.m.

But Vincent said that might be too early: The students face a longer bus ride and will have to get up earlier.

Meyer said the students’ new commute would take just five minutes more than their current route.

Vincent said he wanted to be involved in the zoning discussions.

Meyer said all are invited to participate with the zoning committee in future, to give parents a voice. He said more zoning decisions will need to be made: More than 1,000 more students are expected on the island as a result of new housing areas, school openings and the recent change in the Marine Corps’ length of tour. The transition to the new tour lengths is to begin this year and won’t be done until 2008, Marine Corps officials have said.

For more information on the Zoning Committee, call Henry Meyer at 6341953.

Other zoning changes to take place next year, officials said, include:

¶ New Sada multiplex housing will be zoned for Zukeran Elementary School. The families moving into these units are moving from Chatan housing and currently attend Zukeran.

¶ New Sada towers housing will be zoned for Killin Elementary School. The families moving into these towers are moving from Futenma housing and now attend Killin.

¶ WestPac Lodge students will attend Zukeran Elementary School.

¶ “Space A” students will not be assigned to Zukeran Elementary School.