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Area Schools
Meridian Area
Naval Air Station Meridian is in Lauderdale County, Mississippi which is bordered on the north by Kemper County, on the west by Newton County, on the south by Clarke County, and on the east by Choctaw and Sumter Counties, Alabama. Lauderdale County School District offers 4 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 4 high schools. There are approximately 5,800 students attending Lauderdale County School District.
Please contact the School Liaison to inquire and get clarification on the school districts process/policy regarding School Choice.
Public Schools Serving the Military Housing and Community Neighborhoods in Meridian
Northeast Lauderdale Elementary (PK-4): 6750 Newell Rd; (601) 485-4882
Northeast Lauderdale Middle School (5-8): 7763 Highway 39; (601) 483-3532
Northeast Lauderdale High School (9-12): 702 Briarwood Road; (601) 679-8523
Families may register their child to attend Lauderdale County School District here.
Families selecting non-military housing, can find their school zone here.
Each school's website has a webpage dedicated to Military Families. We encourage families to visit this page to learn of Military Supports in place at the school.
Military Star Schools
The Military Star School program is designed to help schools respond to the educational and social-emotional challenges military-connected children face during their transition to a new school and keep them on track to be college, workforce, and life-ready. Military-connected refers to children of service members on active duty, and in the National Guard and Reserves. The program awards public schools a Military Star designation if they have certain resources in place to accommodate children of a current or former member of the military.
Dress Code
None of the schools in Lauderdale County require school uniforms. However, there is a district dress code policy. Families can review the district's dress code policy here. Upon enrollment during the school year, a student will have 5 school days in which to comply with the dress code. Administration may grant additional time due to extenuating circumstances such as your household goods not arriving yet.
Transportation
Families living in base housing are eligible to receive transportation services from Northeast Lauderdale Schools. If eligible, families are automatically registered for transportation services upon completing the student registration process to attend school. Transportation department here.
District transportation is not provided to students who attend school outside of their determined school zone; transportation is the responsibility of the parent/guardian.
Charter Schools
There are no charter schools in the Meridian area.
Private Schools
There are 4 private schools in the Meridian area. There are Community Christian School, Lamar School, Russell Christian Academy and St. Patrick School. Families are encouraged to review Mississippi State Regulations for Private Schools.
Homeschooling
Families who choose to homeschool their child(ren) have two (2) statutory requirements. To learn more details, please click here. For homeschool events hosted by our program, please contact the School Liaison.
Immunizations
For more information about school immunization requirements and resources, visit the Mississippi Department of Health.
Choosing a School
We know the importance of choosing a school that best meets the needs of your military child(ren). Even though School Liaisons are unable to make direct recommendations for schools, we are available to help you acquire information and research the schools within NRSE. We can provide overall information on districts as well as help you determine what schools you might be zoned to once you have a residence. Academic, demographic, and fiscal information on Mississippi schools can be found using the following resources: Mississippi School & District Report Card
Out of Zone Student Transfer
Families interested in attending a school outside of their assigned neighborhood school should reach out to the School Liaison to learn of Mississippi state policies and procedures. District transportation is not provided to students who attend school outside of their determined school zone; transportation is the responsibility of the parent/guardian.
Military Interstate Compact
The Military Interstate Compact (MIC) is an article of laws to help make transition easier for children of military families so that they may be afforded the same opportunities for educational success as other children and are not penalized or delayed in achieving their educational goals. The MIC provides support with placement, enrollment, extracurricular activities, senior moves and more! The MIC only covers students enrolled in U.S. Public Schools and DoDEA Schools. It does not apply to students enrolled in private schools, homeschools or international schools. Additional information can be found at: www.mic3.net.
Coy Stennis Child Development Center
The Coy Stennis Child Development Center provides a safe, secure environment for children from birth to age five. The center strives to provide the highest quality child care while enhancing the development of each individual child. It is open to all military, active or retired, DoD personnel and DoD contractors Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. The fee structure for full-time care is regulated by the Department of Defense.
For hourly care reservations, you may click here to sign up.
Hourly or drop-in care is limited due to space availability. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made up to 30 days in advance.
Please click here to access the website so that parents can get on the waiting list for military child care.
Please click here to access the website for parents who cannot find care within our CYP. They must be registered on MilitaryChildCare.com and on a waitlist to qualify.
Resources
Organizations Devoted to The Military Family
MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: select the program or service and then choose any installation or enter any zip code. A downloadable directory for all installations will be available on the results page.
DoDEA: the Department of Defense Educational Activity instructional program provides a comprehensive pre-kindergarten through 12th grade curriculum overseas and at select locations in the continental US.
The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC): focused on ensuring quality educational opportunities for all military children affected by mobility, family separation and transition.
National Military Family Association: the leading non-profit organization focusing on issues important to military families.
Fleet & Family Support Programs: information on the many services provided for military families.
Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA): a national organization of school superintendents to serve school districts with a high concentration of military children.
Interstate Compact for Military Children: 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.
Special Needs Resources
Special Ed Connection: the go-to online source for guidance on all your special education challenges — and the only source you need to keep current on education policy and legal developments.
DOD EFMP: Exceptional Family Member Program.
National Association of Gifted Children: NAGC is the nation's leading organization focused on the needs of gifted and talented children. Dedicated to uplifting and empowering those who support children with advanced abilities.
Mensa: Mensa is the world’s largest, oldest and most famous high IQ society.
Parent to Parent USA (P2PUSA): supports families and individuals from birth to 26 impacted by disabilities or special health care needs.
PACER: the Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights provides individual assistance, workshops, publications and other resources to help families make decisions about education and other services for their child or young adult with disabilities.
LD On-line: the world's leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD, serving more than 200,000 parents, teachers, and other professionals each month.
Military OneSource: ROC: a one-source access point to the resources, options and consultations available to military families with special needs through Military OneSource.
Additional Resources
Tutor.com: a free program that allows eligible college and grades K-12 students in US military families to connect to a live tutor online at any time for one-to-one help with homework, studying, test prep, proofreading and more.
National Parent Teacher Association: an organization dedicated to making a difference in the education, health and safety of America’s children and youth.
Guide to Online Schools: from K-12 to college, explore online learning modes, hear from experts and read how Khan Academy and other free resources help students get ahead.
Today's Military: provides overview of joining the military- resources for parents and educators.
Homeschooling
Homeschooling Legal Defense Association: bringing together a large number of homeschooling families so that each can have a low-cost method of obtaining quality legal defense.
Mississippi Department of Education: Home School: Learn of state requirements for home school education.
Homeschool Central: the information you need to successfully homeschool your child, including state laws, local support groups, articles and free resources.
Thrive Guide: Homeschool Edition: resources and information to help you thrive, whether you’re considering homeschooling or are looking for resources at your new installation.
Post-Secondary Support
Gratitude Initiative: an online program that provides the most comprehensive one-on-one college and career counseling program available today free of charge.
College Board: offers students free grade activities, test score specific profiles and information on hundreds of colleges.
Student Financial Aid: provides student financial assistance resources.
GI Bill: VA website for Post 9/11 GI Bill, transferability and Yellow Ribbon.
Fastweb.com: find schools and ways to pay on FastWEB.
Federal Financial Aid: the smart student guide to financial aid.
Military Academies and ROTC
A Guide to U.S. Service Academies, Military Colleges: learn more about each academy and their admission's requirements by reading the linked article.
Defense.gov: military academy links for West Point , Navy, AF, CG, Merchant Marine.
Todaysmilitary.com: ROTC links for Army, Navy and Air Force.
Scholarships for Military-Connected Students
School Liaisons keep a current roster of available military-connected students. Contact the School Liaison to obtain a copy of current scholarships available for students.
Youth Sponsorship
Youth Sponsorship (grades 3-12) provides access to positive peer groups and social activities, helping military children feel connected at their new duty station. For Youth Sponsorship with School Age Care or Youth Programs, participants must be enrolled or a registered user. Click here to request a Youth Sponsor for your child(ren).
School Liaison Informaton
The School Liaison's (SL) primary function is to serve as a conduit between parents, educators and the command, so military-connected children experience a seamless transition during the transfer between schools. As K-12 education subject matter experts, SLs provide information and resources to support military families as they navigate the challenges of this unique lifestyle – frequent relocations, deployments (planned and unplanned), reintegration, separation, postsecondary planning, special education service coordination and so much more. Additionally, SLs support military parents who are looking for information on homeschooling or other alternative models of education by maintaining professional relationships with installation agencies and community service providers.
The School Liaison Program was established under Child and Youth Education Systems (CYES) and falls under the Child and Youth Programs (CYP) umbrella under the Morale Welfare and Recreation of the US Navy. The SL Program serves all branches and is established throughout the Navy.
School-Age Care Program
The School-Age Care program is available for children of military and DOD personnel from when the child enters kindergarten to when they turn twelve.
Certified counselors help children with homework, arts, crafts, nature, and other activities. All counselors have experience in childhood education and are CPR and first aid certified for your child's safety.
SAC also offers Before and After School Care during the school year. During the summer, SAC offers day camp as well as planned field trips, hikes, afternoon swims and much more.
Teen Program
Our Teen Program is located at the School-Age Care Center in housing. The program is free and open to ages 13-18. To access SAC and be part of the program, teens must register online or in-person at SAC or the Child Development Center.
The School-Age Care Center features multiple large-screen televisions and a collection of musical instruments, as well as a billiards table, air hockey table, arcade machine and basketball free throw machine. SAC offers a large selection of video games and video game consoles (Xbox, PS4, Wii U and Nintendo Switch). The computer room includes Apple iMac desktop computers and iPads.Youth Sponsorship
Youth Sponsorship (grades 5-12) provides access to positive peer groups and social activities, helping military children feel connected at their new duty station. If interested in connecting your child with a local youth sponsor, fill out the form at the following link. Once received, you will be contacted by a School Liaison Officer/Youth Center Manager.
For Youth Sponsorship with School Age Care or Youth Programs, participants must be enrolled or a registered user.
