Under HB 1341, military families could transfer their child(ren) to any traditional public school in the state, provided that the receiving school district has the capacity to accept the student(s) and parents can provide daily transportation. Families can access Student Transfer Forms here: 

Meridian Public School District: Student Transfer Forms - Meridian Public School District (mpsdk12.net) 

Lauderdale County School District: Residential Exemption: Active Military Families Application – Military Familes – Lauderdale County School District

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. Transportation to NAS Meridian's Youth Activities Center is provided by Northeast Lauderdale Schools for students enrolled in the School Age Care program.

In Mississippi, 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 Meridian 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.

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 Meridian School Liaison also provides this service to families on an individual basis, if needed.

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.

Under Mississippi 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.

Universal Pre-K is not available in Mississippi. However, Lauderdale County District Schools offers a Pre-Kindergarten program. To learn more, click here and watch this video.

To learn more about Kindergarten enrollment process, click here.

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.

School Districts identify and assess all students within the district from 3 to 21 years of age who may have disabilities, developmental delays, and provide appropriate support and/or related services to those students determined by an educational evaluation.

Most military housing areas and school districts within school boundaries of military housing are familiar with this situation. In Mississippi, families who have PCS'd to the area and have not secured permanent housing can use their PCS Orders to establish residency and register for school. Most times this is all the schools need to proceed with registration. If you have questions or issues, please contact your SL.

School Liaisons (SL) help by providing you with educational information on your new area (based on residence) and connect you with an 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.

The 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. The School Liaison is a parent's first line of support in solving Interstate Compact issues at the lowest level. In the majority of cases, the School Liaison can help solve the problem. In the few instances that they cannot, there are higher levels of support for families through the MIC3 State Commissioner. Families should always start with contacting the School Liaison.

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.

The School Liaison is available to provide families interested in homeschooling their child(ren) with Mississippi state policies and regulations and can connect new families with established homeschool groups in the local community.

If your command is looking for a Community Relations (COMREL) opportunity, contact the School Liaison. The School Liaison always has opportunities for sailors to volunteer in the local schools. The ways to volunteer are endless.

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

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.

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: 

1. Referral or request for evaluation
2. Evaluation
3. Eligibility determination
4. Individualized Educational Program (IEP) development
5. 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 Mississippi's First Steps Early Intervention (Birth to 3) program should work with their child's Case Manager to plan transition services.