School Support Services (SLO)

Getting ready to move:

• Information about your upcoming duty station and educational options in your new community
• Connection to a youth sponsor who can answer your child’s questions from a youth’s perspective
• Assistance with the steps to prepare for your children’s departure from their current schools

Once you arrive:

• Assistance with school registration and transition
• Help with questions about compliance and solutions regarding the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children
• Two way communication between the school and parent
• Connection with homeschool co-ops or support groups

During your assignment:

• Answers to your questions about schools, homeschooling, special education, scholarships, transitions and more.
• Parent education opportunities about college and career readiness, preparing for transition and the Interstate Compact 

To ease the transition, contact your SLO as soon as you get orders.

Finding a new school and registering your child can be confusing. 

We can help.
 

Our SLOs give you information on local schools so you can find the best fit for you and your family.   They can also help you with everything you need to register – and can answer other questions, too. Contact our office and to get more detailed information.

Research-based Characteristics of Quality Schools 

Most schools share fundamental characteristics that prepare students for the future. Research shows that the most effective schools are more alike than they are different. Here is some information about what to look for in quality schools:

• Five Key Features of Effective Schools
• Effective Schools Research Base
• What is Effective School Research? 
• The United States Department of Education provides detailed information about choosing a school and offers a great number of resources to help you make an informed decision when choosing a school for your child.

Families may choose to reside in several cities or towns surrounding Fort Leavenworth. Each community has its own school district.  The Fort Leavenworth Unified School District 207 serves children in grades K-9 who reside on the installation.  Students in grades 10-12 attend Leavenworth High School (USD 453) in the City of Leavenworth. 

The children of families which reside off-post attend school in their locally assigned district.  Some Kansas school districts allow out of district enrollment if certain criteria is met.  Missouri school districts do not allow any out of district transfer students.  Research local schools to determine the best choice for your child and contact the School Liaison Officer for more complete information. 

Kansas School Districts

Fort Leavenworth USD 207

Leavenworth USD 453

Lansing USD 469

Easton USD 449

Missouri School Districts

Platte County R-III Schools (Platte City)

West Platte R-II Schools (Weston)

To find more data about local schools, view building report cards at the State Department of Education.

Kansas School Report Cards

Missouri School Report Cards

Leavenworth Area Private Schools (Military Families have access to private schools in the community)

Local Private School Options

There are no charter or magnet schools in the Fort Leavenworth area.

Home schooling has become mainstream and widely-used. We offer resources and information to help you provide quality home-based education.

Home School Legal Defense Association provides information on home school law, and general support and information about homeschooling.

A current list of local home school resources, groups, and points of contact can be accessed by contacting the School Liaison Officer.

USD 453 Virtual School

Kansas Virtual Schools and Programs

Homeschooling in Kansas and Missouri

Kansas recognizes home schools as non-accredited private schools and requires registration with the State Department of Education. An online registration form and everything you need to know about home schooling in Kansas may be accessed at the Kansas State Department of Education’s website. 

Missouri does not regulate or monitor home schools. There is no need to register as a home school in Missouri.  However, there are records that MUST be maintained.  Find everything you need to know about home schooling in Missouri by reviewing the following State Statutes: 167.031 167.042

Keeping accurate and complete records of home schooled students’ progress is highly encouraged. These records will be needed if the student transfers to a public or an accredited school, or applies for admission to a college or university.  If a student transfers to an accredited school, the accredited school is not required to accept the transfer of credit. The accredited school may find it necessary to test the student in order to make a decision regarding the transfer of credit.

The availability of special classes and services for students that home school is determined by local district policy.  Public schools are not required to make a free and appropriate education available to students who are not both enrolled and residing in their district.  The district policy must be non-discriminatory by either allowing part time enrollment for any reason or not allowing it at all. 

Fort Leavenworth USD 207 does not allow any part time enrollment.

Leavenworth USD 453 does allow part time enrollment.   Students who reside in the USD 453 boundaries must be enrolled in at least one full-time class to participate in other activities.

Highly mobile children are entitled to an expedited process, including: a) evaluations in 30 days instead of 60 days, b) removed delays due to school district schedules for Families moving during incomplete screenings, c) continued Extended School Year for students moving in the summer. The United State Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services outlines these requirements for State Directors of Special Education.

The Center for Parent Information and Resources offers parent education, acronyms, tools,
webinars and a directory of local Parent and Information Training Centers to appropriately
advocate for their children, proactively supporting personal accountability. Funded by OSEP.

Military OneSource has a range of resources in caring for a family member with special needs: education, health care, legal, financial, points of contact (EFMP, School Liaisons, etc.)

Military Community & Family Policy-Office of Special Needs provides directory of age-specific resources and States at a glance for state education resources and parent resources. 

DirectSTEP provides no cost, Army sponsored online training for educators and parents on a host of special education topics such as understanding federal requirements, best practices for educators learn how to apply education laws in order to obtain positive outcomes associated with critical education issues. Access the course listing and registration page through the links below.

DirectSTEP course listing

DirectSTEP registration

If you have a child with special needs, the School Liaison Officer can help you find information for resources within your local school district. Fort Leavenworth's Exceptional Family Member Program is also an invaluable resource. Contact the EFMP Program Manager at (913) 684-2827.

Local School Districts are responsible for providing special education services for children who live within their district boundaries.  For children 3-5 years old, parents may find current information on scheduled screenings, eligibility, and services by contacting the local district or the School Liaison Officer.  Screenings for children ages birth to the 36 months are conducted by the Tiny K Program in Kansas. Tiny K can be reached by calling 913-250-1111.

Fort Leavenworth USD 207 Special Services

Leavenworth USD 453 Special Education

Lansing USD 469 Special Education

Platte County R-III Special Services

West Platte R-II Special Services

We understand that military transitions for children include much than school plans and enrollment. We have a number of resources to help make your move as easy as possible for the kids including:

Military Kids Connect provides online age-appropriate resources to help parents, teachers and children cope with unique challenges of military life.

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (MIC3) addresses key transition issues military Families experience, including enrollment, placement, attendance, eligibility and graduation. All 50 states have signed the compact and are in varying stages of implementation and/or compliance. The compact applies to children of Active Duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members on active duty orders and members or veterans who are medically discharged or retired within the past year.

If you feel that you have an issue that the Compact can help address, talk with your SLO. The SLO is able to connect with both the sending and receiving school to assist in resolving the issue. If it is not possible to resolve the issue locally, the SLO will help you work with the state commission and if needed, the national office.

Our support doesn't end with elementary education. If you have children preparing for academic life after high school, we can help you find information about testing opportunities, scholarships and military-specific resources that can help you plan.

The US Department of Veteran Affairs provides information about Military-Specific and Government Academic Support G.I.Bill.

The Transferability of Educational Benefits for the Post-11 GI Bill are very specific. The Defense Manpower Data Center through MilConnect will guide you through the transfer process and your eligibility to do so. Speak with an Education Counselor prior to making this election in order to ensure you understand the benefit.

In-State Tuition Programs for Military; (Service-Members and Active Duty) for a period of more than 30 days and their dependents are eligible to receive in-state tuition at many public colleges and universities in the state where they reside or permanently stationed. An enrolled dependent may pay in-state as long as he or she remains continuously enrolled at the institution, even if the service-member is reassigned outside of the state. Regulation outlined in the Higher Education Opportunity Act 2008 (P.L. 110-135) and the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Here are some additional web resources to assist you with your child/ren's education:

Academic Resources:

Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families makes live tutors available online 24/7 to help with more than 40 core subjects and standardized test preparation. Army Child Youth School Services provides Homework Labs in before/after school programs for elementary students at the School Age Center, Middle and High School students at the Youth Center.

Khan Academy a personalized learning resource for all ages Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside the classroom. We tackle; (math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, SAT and more).

Support/Resilience Resources: School Support Services include information about other programs you can use for support and resilience-related issues. 

Military Family Life Counselors (MFLC/s) are available to meet in-person on or off the military installation. The free non-medical sessions are anonymous and may occur in individual, couple, family or group setting. Child Behavioral Specialists are located on the installation in Child Youth & School Service programs and in highly impacted schools located on and off the installation. 

Military OneSource has access to free counseling that is anonymous and available online, on the phone or in-person. Twelve free sessions may occur in individual, couple, family or group settings.

Ready and Resilient Workshops for youth and educators are offered through the SLO and Youth Center programs. These workshops provide educators and students with the same tools Soldiers receive through their Ready and Resilient training. As Master Resilience Trainers, SLOs strive to develop a common language around resilience for educators, youth and their parents. Contact our local SLO for more information.

College and Career Readiness Resources: college and career readiness includes the content knowledge, skills and habits that students must have to be successful in post-secondary education. It also includes training that leads to a sustaining career. A student who is ready for college and career can qualify for and succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing college courses without needing remedial or developmental coursework. These links have tools that will help you plan for your child's college and career readiness.

Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) provides STEM opportunities for military connected youth. The website provides information about AEOP programs available to youth, scholarship opportunities, news and ways to get involved.

Military.com Scholarship Finder Military.com provides a search engine to help you find money for your child's higher education needs. Search over 1000 scholarships intended for Military youth.

School Support Services Scholarships Database listing of crowd sourced scholarships for Military connected youth. Scholarships are listed in alphabetical order and provide information on deadlines and qualifications.

Financial Aid provides a description of federal student aid programs for the U.S. Department of Education and how to apply for them.

Free application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) apply for federally funded financial assistance for education beyond high school.

Get ready for college - College Planning/Financial Aid

Contact the Fort Leavenworth School Liaison Officer to request a list of local and national scholarships specifically for military dependents.

SAT/ACT Prep classes are offered periodically through the Harrold Youth Center. 

When it’s time to transition to your next installation, we have support ready to help you.

School Transition Information: School Liaison Officers are located on each installation to assist military Families with school transition and other education-related issues.  Go to Army OneSource for more information.

Military Youth on the Move the Department of Defense designed Military Youth on the Move as one-stop shop for parents and students with moves and deployment.

What is a Unique Military Child Identifier? Numerous states have enacted a voluntary report-only self-identification of military children within their public school systems. This data collection would allow monitoring of critical elements such as academic progress and proficiency, special and advanced program participation, mobility and dropout rates. Requirements and method of collection vary from state to state.

Impact Aid

Many local school districts across the United States include within their boundaries parcels of land that are owned by the Federal Government.  They must provide a quality education to the children living on the Indian and other Federal lands while sometimes operating with less local revenue than is available to other school districts, because the Federal property is exempt from local property taxes. 

Congress has provided financial assistance to these local school districts through the Impact Aid Program. Each year Military members and Federal employees complete a Survey Form. The amount of Impact Aid – or federal assistance –received is determined by the number of eligible parents/guardians who complete the survey form. It partially compensates school districts affected by federal activity for local tax losses resulting from tax-free federal installations.

Impact Aid Fact Sheet (we will provide a hand out to link to)

Impact Aid Website

Non-DoD School Program (NDSP)

At overseas/international locations where there is not a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school, NDSP supports a variety of options for your children, ranging from public or private schools to homeschool programs.  NDSP has a team of education specialists who are available to provide transition and educational support and coordination for all students, including those with special needs. Sponsors are encouraged contact the NDSP as soon as possible for specific school information. 

Email

Phone Number +1 (571)372-5863 or +1 (571)372-1897

How old must my child be to start Kindergarten in Kansas?

According to State Law, children must be 5 years old on or before August 31^st to be eligible for kindergarten in Kansas.  Children must be 6 years old on or before August 31^st to be eligible for first grade in Kansas.  Any child who moves to Kansas and was enrolled and attending an accredited kindergarten may continue with enrollment at grade level.

Documentation must be provide that they were legally enrolled and attending in the state/country where they previously resided.

How old must my child be to start Kindergarten in Missouri?

According to State Law, a child is eligible for admission to kindergarten if the child reaches the age of 5 before the first day of August of the school year. A child is eligible for admission to kindergarten/first grade if the child is military dependent and has successfully completed an accredited pre-kindergarten program or has attended an accredited kindergarten program in another state.  Contact the Board of Education for their specific policy.

May I send my child to a school that’s outside of our assigned school district?

Many school districts in Kansas will allow students to transfer enrollment if certain criteria is met.  Fort Leavenworth USD 207 requires non-resident applicants to reside within 45 miles of the installation.  You may access the complete enrollment policy here.

If you are interested in a different district, other than USD 207, contact the local board of education as their policy may change from year to year.

Out of district transfers are generally not allowed in the State of Missouri.

If you want to send your child to a school other than the one assigned that IS within your district boundaries, contact the district directly to inquire.

Does your child have 101 questions about your next duty station? Let a youth sponsor answer them!
 

Youth sponsors connect with children before arrival at a new duty station, provide them with information about their new communities and answer questions from a youth perspective – while being guided by adults in the CYS youth program and the schools.

Once you arrive, a youth sponsor will meet your child and can arrange community and school tours.

If you're preparing for a PCS move, contact your SLO today to sign up for a youth sponsor.

Click here to download the Parent Handbook.

Click here to download the Child Supervision Policy that covers siblings babysitting, curfews, leaving children alone inside, outside, and at activities.