School Options Available to Military Children

The military lifestyle creates a variety of academic opportunities for school-age, youth and teen family members. The War Department has engaged on many levels in pursuit of the overarching goal to ensure families are informed as you seek the best educational opportunities for your children throughout your military service.

The available educational options are as diverse as the locations where you may be assigned. There are multiple factors to consider and choices to be made for each relocation, and your children will have unique educational needs. Before you move, understand the education opportunities available for your student.

Department of War Education Activity schools

The Department of War Education Activity, or DoWEA, operates 161 schools serving K-12 students. DoWEA’s nine districts are located in 11 foreign countries, seven states, Guam and Puerto Rico. DoWEA also offers a Virtual High School option for students.

Public education

In the United States, each state establishes its own laws for compulsory starting age and legal age of withdrawal for public education. According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, the majority of school-age children from military families assigned to locations throughout the United States attend public schools.

Because state requirements vary, we recommend that you seek guidance from your state’s Department of Education for unique state requirements. For information about the public schools that serve your duty station/assignment, reach out to your local school liaison. School liaisons are located at each installation and are your main point of contact for school-related matters for pre-K through 12th grade.

Currently, 161 public schools operate on military installations across the United States. These schools fall outside of the DoWEA umbrella and are in addition to DoWEA school options. Many of these traditional public school programs offer specialized school options, such as a charter or magnet school.

The Defense-State Liaison Office has led several efforts that support military families as they transition to, from and within the United States, including:

• The Military Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children: The Interstate Compact includes many provisions that ease educational transition challenges for military children. Currently, all 50 states and the District of Columbia participate in the Interstate Compact to help your students enroll in school, register for the classes they need and graduate on time. In addition, DoWEA follows the same requirements as the Interstate Compact to ensure your student’s education is not interrupted.

  While the compact is not exhaustive, it does cover key issues for military families — eligibility, enrollment, placement and graduation. The compact applies to:

• Interstate moves
• Overseas moves from a DoWEA school to a U.S. public school
• Overseas moves from a U.S. public school to a DoWEA school

The compact does not apply to private or international schools.

Learn how the compact makes changing schools easier for military children and find out how the compact applies to your student’s transition. Contact your local school liaison with any transition-related questions.

• Advance Enrollment: Many states waive proof of residency requirements for enrollment in public schools until the student arrives in the new state on military transfer orders. This allows students to enroll in school and receive class schedules in advance of arriving at the new school. Having class schedules prior to the move provides students a sense of comfort, relieving unneeded stress during transition between locations. Learn more about the Advance Enrollment initiative.
• Open enrollment flexibility: Open enrollment is a form of public school choice that allows students to attend a different school than the one to which they are assigned based on their place of residence. Currently, 46 states have varied open enrollment policies. The majority of states offer military families increased flexibility through access to district open enrollment opportunities. To find out more about enrollment flexibility, advance enrollment and the Military Interstate Compact, contact your school liaison.

Alternatives to public education

Depending on your family’s needs, alternatives to traditional public schools may be right for you:

• Charter schools: Local school districts and state public education departments allow these schools to operate independently. Charter schools must meet the same standards of accountability required of traditional public schools, but how they do that is up to them. Based on the philosophy of the school or the needs of their students and families, they can design curricula and deliver education independently.
• Virtual schools: When a state or local school system operates a virtual school, it is under the same authority of a state public education department that a traditional public school would be. As such, it would be public and tuition-free for locally enrolled students. It would also adhere to state standards while offering courses through remote instruction. It’s important to know that virtual learning requires at-home involvement of parents, especially for younger children.

  Many private, tuition-based virtual schools operate around the world. If you use one, it’s important to ensure that the school is accredited for the transfer of all secondary grade credits (grades 6-12). Many local public schools, including DoWEA, are unable to accept transfer credits from unaccredited private schools. For student athletes, secondary course credit must be from accredited schools to qualify for NCAA scholarships.

• Religious private schools: Faith-based organizations — whether churches, synagogues, mosques or other communities formed around shared religious beliefs — have long offered their own schools. While they teach traditional core subjects, they also infuse faith into their programming.
• Boarding and independent schools: Not every private school is affiliated with a particular faith. Families might choose these private, independent schools because they offer such distinctions as a specific philosophy of learning or approach, an international baccalaureate degree or innovative practice free from traditional classroom restraints.

  Boards of governors or trustees, who set the curriculum and educational philosophy of independent schools, run these schools. Some are day schools, where students come for the day just like their public school peers. Other families choose boarding schools to immerse their children in the school’s culture throughout the school year.

• Homeschooling: Homeschooling is an educational approach that can offer families stability and flexibility while applying a personal approach to their students’ learning and strengthening their sense of social-emotional well-being.

  If your family is exploring homeschooling, especially if you’re living OCONUS, make your local school liaison one of your first stops for assistance to help with up-to-date resources, information and education requirements. You can also check the best practices for homeschooling through the Defense-State Liaison Office. Find additional helpful considerations in the homeschooling guide for military families article.

Education support in overseas locations not served by DoWEA schools

DoWEA provides educational support and financial assistance through the Non-Department of War Schools Program to eligible families assigned to international locations where no DoWEA schools are available. Visit the DoWEA website for additional information about the Non-DOW Schools Program. Need overseas schooling assistance? Contact your local school liaison for help with this transition.

Making the choice for your children

While this article outlines many education options to consider when making a school transition decision for your student, you may still have questions about your options. Your school liaison is trained to help you and your child make a smooth transition. Your current school liaison can connect you with the school liaison at your new location.

If you still need help figuring out school options for your children, Military OneSource education consultants are available 24/7/365 to help.