Changing Schools

When leaving your current school district, obtain a copy of your student’s unofficial school records to carry to the new school.

Thanks to the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, this documentation is sufficient to place your child in comparable classes until the student’s official paperwork arrives at the new school.

The Interstate Compact is designed to make school transitions easier for military families. Currently, all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity, or DODEA, have committed to helping students enroll in school, register for the classes they need and graduate on time. Learn more about the Interstate Compact below.

The advance enrollment initiative enables military parents to pre-enroll their children in a school district before they arrive at their new PCS destination.

The benefits of advance enrollment for military children include the opportunity to:

• Participate in random lotteries for charter or magnet schools
• Enroll in specialized academic programs
• Begin coordinating IEP and 504 plan requirements
• Register for courses and plan their course of study
• Know which school they will attend before arriving at the new location

To take advantage of advance enrollment, you must provide documentation of a pending military relocation to the state and proof of residency to the school district within the required number of days after arrival at your new location.

Not every state has approved this policy. States in which it has passed include: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

If your student is eligible, the new school shall facilitate participation in extracurricular activities even if application deadlines or tryouts have passed.

For high school teens, transferring won’t impact their expected graduation. Here are some examples of how the Interstate Compact assists with checking off graduation requirements:

• Course waivers: If your student has already completed similar coursework, the new school may waive courses required for graduation. In some states, schools can deny the request to apply past coursework. If the school denies applying that coursework toward graduation, it must provide an alternate means of obtaining required coursework to be completed for on-time graduation.
• Exit exams: The new school district may accept your student’s exit exams and achievement tests required to graduate from his or her previous school. If the school does not, it will provide an alternate means of providing exit exams for the student.
• Senior-year transfers: If your student changes school during his or her senior year, the two school districts will work together to get a diploma from the former school to ensure on-time graduation.

Watch this video to learn about the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission and how it supports military-connected students moving to new schools.

Before your move:

• Alert your new school and your medical provider at least 30 days ahead of your move.
• Request a copy of your child’s complete educational and medical records.
• Submit the records to the new school as soon as possible.

If your student is covered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, federal law protects your child’s right to receive the same services identified in his or her existing individual education program, or IEP. The receiving school may perform subsequent evaluations to assess eligibility and ensure appropriate placement. Learn more about moving with an IEP.

If you have additional questions or need any information regarding your child with special needs, contact:

• EFMP family support staff on your installation
• Military OneSource special needs consultants at 800-342-9647

You can also schedule a live chat with a Military OneSource special needs consultant or view international calling options.

Your local school liaison can also help families with special education needs by connecting you to your new school’s special education department.