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Advance Enrollment

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Key Message

States can help military families by allowing students with documentation of a pending relocation to register for school remotely and provide proof of residency after they arrive. Currently, most states put military children at a disadvantage, causing them to miss important school deadlines.

Summary

Military families being transferred on official orders are not allowed to register their children for school until they are physically located in the school district, putting them at a disadvantage.

Insights

About 185,000 military children in elementary and secondary school move each year. Most of these children are not allowed to pre-enroll in their new school districts, often causing them to miss deadlines for course and program enrollment. This may force them to make up missed classes in summer school or even graduate later than their peers.

State Policymakers

If you are a state policymaker, request more information.