FAQs

NAS Jacksonville School Liaison FAQs

School Transition Services

How do I dis-enroll my child from school?

Over the holidays is a busy time for schools as many current students transfer to new locations. It is recommended that families inform the current school of their upcoming withdrawal as soon as hard orders are received. Requesting unofficial records from the school’s office at least one week prior to transferring will allow enough time for the school to make copies. Also, student obligations must be cleared before the release packet is given to the parent/guardian. This includes the following: return of technology, library books, textbooks and other educational materials, payment for lost or damaged materials and lunch account must be cleared.

Informing the front office at least one week prior to leaving will ensure a smooth transition from the current school to the receiving school.

How do I request before and after school care?

Navy families may visit www.militarychildcare.com to find comprehensive information on child care programs worldwide, conduct a customized search for the care you need and submit a request for care at any time and from any location. Duval County Public Schools provides transportation to/from the Youth Activities Center for several schools:

All elementary magnet schools in Zone 5
All magnet schools for middle and high schools with the exception of Mayport Middle School
Riverside HS
Westside MS

Duval County Public Schools offers a fee-based Extended Day Program. Check out your school's website to learn more. The Extended Day Program provides students a fun and engaging learning environment during the hours most parents/guardians are working. Students who are enrolled in Clay or St. Johns county should reach out to the school they will attend or the School Liaison for more information.

How old does my child have to be to start Kindergarten?

In Florida, children must be 5 years old on or before September 1 to be eligible to enroll in Kindergarten. Exceptions are made, under MIC3, for Kindergarten students who have PCS'd to NAS Jacksonville and were already enrolled in Kindergarten at a U.S. public or DoDEA school. Contact your School Liaison to learn more about MIC3 provisions in place to support transitioning military students.

My child is ready to transition out of the CDC and I need to register my child for Kindergarten, how do I do that?

Parents can attend a Kindergarten Transition Brief that is offered at their CDC. The brief provides information such as eligibility, enrollment requirements, school options, checklists and resources. The Naval Air Station Jacksonville School Liaison also provides this service to families on an individual basis, if needed.

We are PCSing to NAS Jacksonville this summer and the schools are closed. We have several questions that need to be answered. Who do we contact?

The first step is to look online at the district and school webpages. There you will find answers to most of your questions. If you need more information, the School Liaison works year-round and is available to answer your questions throughout the summer. The School Liaison can support with parent-school communications during summer break.

What are my options for virtual school?

Click on the following links to learn more about local area virtual school options:

Duval Virtual Instruction Academy

Clay Virtual Academy

St. Johns Virtual School

Florida Virtual School

What are the pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade age requirements?

Under Florida state law, children must turn four (4) on or before September 1 in order to enroll in Pre-Kindergarten. For Kindergarten, children must turn five (5) on or before September 1 to be eligible. Children must turn six (6) on or before September 1 to enroll in first grade.

The first step, regardless of your county of residence, is to obtain a VPK Eligibility and Enrollment Certificate. In Duval you may begin the registration process, here. In Baker, Bradford, Clay, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns you may begin the registration process here.

Duval County Schools: To learn more about VPK enrollment process, click here. To learn more about Kindergarten enrollment process, click here.

Clay County Schools: To learn more about VPK enrollment process, click here. To learn more about Kindergarten enrollment process, click here.

St. Johns Schools: To learn more about VPK enrollment process, click here. To learn more about Kindergarten enrollment process, click here.

What do I do if I’m moving with a child with special needs?

In the Navy, your School Liaison can help you with the special needs navigation of the school or district that you are planning to send your child(ren) to. You should also contact the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) to ensure that you are enrolled and that you have all information and resources that they offer.

What do I do if I’m on a housing wait-list or am in temporary housing?

Most military housing areas and school districts within school boundaries of military housing are familiar with this situation. In the state of Florida, your PCS orders can be used to establish residency and register for school. Please contact your SL for further questions.

What is a School Liaison and how can they help me?

School Liaisons (SL) help by providing you with educational information on your new area (based on residence) and connect you with a SL in your next duty station if you are leaving NRSE. SLs also offer resources on deployment support, are the liaison between command, schools and military families, work with commands and schools on the Partnership in Education program, can help families navigate the special needs programs in districts and offer information and support for Homeschool and Post-Secondary preparation.

What is the Military Interstate Compact and what can it do for my family?

The Military Interstate Compact seeks to make transitions easier for the children of military families so that they are afforded the same opportunities for educational success as other children and are not penalized or delayed in achieving their educational goals. More information can be found at: www.mic3.net

Deployment Support

What deployment supports are in place for students (and their parents)?

Anchored4Life (A4L) is offered to students at 18 schools in the NAS Jacksonville area and the CYP Youth Activities Center. A4L is a transition and resiliency program and deployment kits and activities are offered to students that participate. 36 schools in the NAS Jacksonville area have a Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC) that offers FREE individual counseling, as well as group counseling to students for deployment support. Deployment club, military kids club and friendship club are just a few of the options that military students can participate in. In addition, the School Liaison has a list of deployment resources for families who reach out for support.

Command, School, Community Communications

What are Federal Impact Aid Survey Cards and why are they important?

At the beginning of every new school year the Federal Impact Aid Survey Cards will be sent home to every student in the district. A separate card must be completed and returned for each child. These completed cards will result in more federal money to help reimburse the Florida Department of Education for the cost of educating federally connected (military and DoD civilian) children whose families do not pay Florida state taxes. This will mean more resources for the schools and ultimately military-connected children. These funds help to pay for things such as text books, technology and substitute teachers which can impact our military-connected child’s learning. Your information is not going to be shared with anyone outside the state and federal government, and the money for the school districts comes directly from the Department of Education and is based on the number of military-connected children educated by the state.

What is the Military Student Identified (MSI) seen on school registration forms? Why is it important?

The Military Student Identifier (MSI) is a datapoint established as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. The stated purpose of ESSA is to “improve academic achievement of the disadvantaged.” This starts by identifying students from vulnerable segments of the population. Military children were identified, due to their struggles with disrupted learning and social-emotional struggles as a result of frequent moves.

This MSI data relies upon military-connected families to self-report military directly to their schools annually.

Now that states are required to collect and report assessment data for military-connected students teachers, administrators and schools will finally have a better, clearer picture of these students’ challenges and where they might need additional supports. Through identification, schools can better serve and support the needs of military-connected students.

Homeschool Linkage and Support

What are the state’s homeschool requirements?

File a Letter of Intent with the school district that you reside in. A list on Home Education District Contacts can be found here.
Annual Evaluations are to be turned in to the school district that you reside in.
File a Letter of Termination with the school district that your reside in when you have completed your home education program.

For more information visit Florida Department of Education Home Schools.

What supports are in place for my K-12 homeschool students?

The School Liaison is available to provide families interested in homeschooling their child(ren) with Florida state policies and regulations and is able to connect new families with established homeschool groups in the metro-Jacksonville community.

Partnerships in Education (PIE)

How are Navy commands providing support in the local schools?

Active Duty service members are volunteering in the local schools by providing support for Back to School events, academic ceremonies, Veteran's Day events, fall festivals, Career Day events, Friday Family Fun nights and other special events. Service members enjoy providing community service to the local schools and have provided years of support to NAS Jacksonville area schools.

What partnership opportunities are available to my command?

If your command is looking for a Community Relations (COMREL) opportunity, contact the installation's Community Service Coordinator. The School Liaison always has opportunities for service members to volunteer in the local schools. The ways to volunteer are endless.

Post-Secondary Preparation

I have the Post 9/11 GI Bill benefit and I’d like to transfer it to my child. Can I do that?

Transferability of the Post 9/11 GI Bill is a retention tool and in order to find out if you are eligible to transfer it, you must contact the VA. The School Liaison can provide you with the contact information. Additional information can be found at: www.GIBill.va.gov

My child is eligible to begin drawing from their Chapter 35 benefits before they graduate high school. What steps should families take?

Families must contact their local VA Benefits office to discuss their benefits. You may access the VA Benefits Office Directory here.

Special Needs System Navigation

Are there gifted education services in the local school districts?

To learn about Gifted Education services, click on your corresponding district: Duval County, Clay County, St. Johns County

For more information, please contact the School Liaison.

My child has an IEP and I need an advocate. Can the SL advocate?

The School Liaison is a liaison between the school and the military and cannot be an advocate for a family. There are other organizations that can and the SL can refer to those organizations. The SL’s role is to assist families in navigating the special education system within the school district and to assist with connecting you to the right people at the school or district office. The SL can also connect you to military resources that are available.

My child is 3 years old and I suspect there are delays that require early intervention. What should I do?

You must first contact the Student Services Department at your neighborhood School District. There are five basic steps to become familiar with in the special education process:

Referral or request for evaluation
Evaluation
Eligibility determination
Individualized Educational Program (IEP) development
Progress Monitoring and IEP review

You must request information on Child Find and schedule an appointment to partake in the evaluation. If the child meets eligibility requirements, the school district will provide early intervention services.

Families currently enrolled in Florida's Early Steps (Birth to 3) program should work with their child's Case Manager to plan transition services.

Families may also contact the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS) to receive additional support and information on continuing or establishing special needs services. They may be reached at (904) 346-4601.