Welcome to NSA Monterey!

The School Liaison Officer’s 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. 

Please reach out to the Point of Contacts listed below if you should have any questions:

Richard In, School Liaison Officer

richard.in@nps.edu

 

Why School Liaison Officers?
• Families move an average of every 2.9 years
• Children attend up to 9 different schools by graduation
• Families experience increased stress related to deployment during wartime

The School Liaison Officer can offer information on area schools and help facilitate communication between the military family on matters relating to regional public and private schools as well as home school and alternative modes of education.

The School Liaison Officer provides information and resources for military families on internal organizations as well as some local organizations.

Core Services:

School Transition Services (PCS Cycle): School Liaison Officers assist families with school transfers and help “level the playing field” for military children and youth.

Deployment Support: School Liaison Officers connect educators with the Navy deployment support system to inform them about the cycles of deployment and the tools available to assist educators in working with Navy children.

Command, School, Community Communications: School Liaison Officers serve as subject-matter experts for installation commanders on K-12 issues, helping to connect command, school and community resources.

Home School Linkage and Support: School Liaison Officers assist Navy families by gathering and sharing information on home schooling issues, policies and legislation from local school districts. 

Partnerships in Education (PIE): PIE creates a volunteer network of resources to support installation and community members who have a vested interest in the success of all youth. If you are interested in these volunteer opportunities please contact your Installation School Liaison Officer.

Post-Secondary Preparations: School Liaison Officers leverage installation and school resources to provide graduating military students with access to post-secondary information and opportunities.

Special Needs System Navigation: School Liaison Officers provide information about installation and community programs and services, make referrals to the Exceptional Family Member Program, and help in navigating the administrative systems within local education agencies.

ACADEMIC ANCHOR

Academic Anchor is Navy Region Southwest's bimonthly School Liaison Newsletter. It addresses educational issues that affect military children in our region and provides information about upcoming events.

WHAT IS A SCHOOL LIAISON AND HOW CAN THEY HELP ME?

The School Liaison (SL) is a bridge between parents, educators and the command to help military-connected families and children experience a seamless transition during transfers between schools. 

School Liaison's provide information about educational options, home schooling and local schools, assist families with inbound/outbound school transfers, help navigate the special education process and administrative systems within local education agencies. SLs provide resources for college readiness, deployment support, and connection with community resources.

SLOs are the liaison between command, schools and military families, and can link you up with a SLO in your next duty station.

HOW DO I CHOOSE A SCHOOL?
We know the importance of choosing a school that best meets the needs of your military child(ren). In Monterey, schooling depends on where students live. Families living in military housing (La Mesa Village and the Ord Military Community) are zoned for the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) www.mpusd.net.  Carmel Valley https://www.carmelunified.org/ and Pacific Grove https://pgusd.org/  school districts require physical proof of residency within their boundaries and transfers into these districts are not permitted. 

Even though we are unable to make direct recommendations for schools, we are available to help you research and acquire information about the schools in your area. We can provide overall information on public, private, and charter schools, options and support for homeschool and help you determine what schools you might be mapped to according to your residence. Academic, demographic, and fiscal information on California schools can be found using the following resources:
Ed-Data
California Dashboard
School Accountability Report Card
Greatschools.org
SchoolDigger.com

WHAT IS THE EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT (ESSA)?

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed by President Barack Obama on December 10, 2015 and replaces the 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The ESSA retains the annual standardized testing requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act but shifts the law's federal accountability provisions to states. Under the law, students will continue to take annual tests between the third and eighth grades.

The ESSA set new mandates on expectations and requirements for students with disabilities. Most students with disabilities will be required to take the same assessments and will be held to the same standards as other students. The Department of Education does not define disabled, rather, each state decides its own definition in order to determine which students will be allowed to take alternate assessments. 

The ESSA has also recognized that bullying and harassment in schools disproportionately affects students with disabilities. Because of this, the ESSA requires states to develop and implement plans on how they will combat and attempt to reduce bullying incidents on their campuses

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (McKinney-Vento Act) is federal legislation that ensures the educational rights and protections of children and youths experiencing homelessness. It requires all local educational agencies (LEAs) to ensure that homeless students have access to the same free, appropriate public education, including public preschools, as provided to other children and youths. ESSA increases resources for homeless students by expanding the availability and use of Title IA funds.  ESSA provides all children and youth in foster care with core protections for school stability and school access.

The ESSA recognizes military-connected students as a distinct subgroup, including students with a parent who is an active duty member of the Armed Forces and National Guard. The Military Student Identifier (MSI) indicates a student with a parent who is a member of the Armed Forces and provides educators with critical information to personalize attention to military dependent children. Schools (LEAs and public Charters) must include the military student identifier question, for example in their student enrollment procedure.

For more information, please visit: https://www.ed.gov/ESSA

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH AND IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS?

Immunization and health checkup fact sheet for the California Dept of Education can be found at: www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/cefimmunization.asp and  https://www.shotsforschool.org/k-12/. Students are not permitted to attend school until all required immunizations are complete.  Proof of Physical Examination is required if enrolling in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten or 1st grade.  Proof of Oral Health Assessment is required for the first year in public school; either transitional kindergarten, kindergarten or 1st grade. Proof of TDAP or the DTP booster is required for Grades 7-12.

The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act requires schools to enroll new students who are homeless even if their immunization records are missing or unavailable at the time of enrollment. California law requires schools to immediately enroll foster children transferring to their school even if a foster child is unable to produce immunization records normally required for school entry

WHAT ARE THE SCHOOL REGISTRATION PROCEDURES?

This depends on what school district you are looking to enroll your child. Most schools require: 

• Proof of Age:  Evidence of the child's age may include a certified birth certificate 

• Immunization Record: Students are not permitted to attend school until all required immunizations are complete. Visit https://www.shotsforschool.org/k-12/.

• Proof of Physical Examination: (If enrolling in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten or 1st grade)

• Proof of Residence:  Military orders, hotel receipt, lease agreement or rent receipt

• Previous school records: Students entering grades 10-12 MUST provide a transcript

• Name, address telephone number of previous schools.

We recommend that you contact the school directly once you establish residence. However, one thing you can do to prepare is to use the Checklist for School Moves and ensure that you hand carry all necessary documents.

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. You may use your military orders and a hotel receipt or housing lease as proof of residency to register your children. You may also wish to ask your local housing office for a letter indicating that you are on the waitlist and will be moving into housing within 30 days. Carmel Valley https://www.carmelunified.org/ and Pacific Grove https://pgusd.org/  school districts require physical proof of residency within their boundaries. If you have questions or issues, please contact your SL.

WHAT IS THE INTERSTATE COMPACT AND WHAT CAN IT DO FOR MY FAMILY?

The Compact deals with the challenges of military children and their frequent relocations. It allows for uniform treatment as military children transfer between school districts in member states. The Interstate Compact seeks to make transition 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. Note: The Compact only applies to public schools and addresses areas such as Enrollment, Eligibility, Placement and Attendance, and Graduation. Additional resources and information are available at www.mic3.net 

WHAT OPTIONS ARE THERE FOR BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE?

Requesting care is available online at www.navymwr.org . Look for the "Child and Youth Programs button and select "I need care". You may go directly to the waiting list program by visiting www.militarychildcare.com Using the drop down menu, fill in the pertinent information and follow the steps to request care.

We recommend you visit https://militarychildcare.com  to set up a profile and request child care as we have an extensive waiting list.  Many of our programs require registration even if you are not using childcare services. 

You may find information regarding childcare and afterschool programs at:

La Mesa CDC:  https://monterey.navylifesw.com/  

and Ord CDC: https://presidio.armymwr.com/programs/cyss.

A variety of programs are offered throughout the year to enhance and support the military/DoD experience in Monterey.  The Tech Connection/Teen and Youth Center is a proud member of the Boys and Girls Club of America and 4-H affiliate.  

The Tech Connection Teen & Youth Center offers the following: 

School Age Care: Fee-Based program offering daily before and/or after school care for military/DoD Dependents who have started grades Kindergarten – 7th grade.  (Transitional Kindergarten not eligible).  This program is designed to meet the needs of school-aged youth in the hours before and after school.  

Before School: Care provided before-school daily 6-8 am. Counselors provide walking transportation from the Youth Center to La Mesa Elementary School.

After School: Care provided after-school daily 2:25 pm - 6:00 pm Monday-Friday, 12:50 pm - 6:00 pm Wednesday. Counselors provide walking transportation from La Mesa Elementary School to the Youth Center. 

Teen Programs: FREE after school program for military/DoD Dependents who have started grades 8 – 12th grade, Teens must be a minimum 13 years old.  

After School: Open 3:30-6 pm Monday-Friday, 2-6 pm Wednesday. 

To Register: Visit the Family Enrollment Page https://elibrary.cnic-n9portal.net/familyenrollment/youth-programs/SAC/ download the forms or contact the Youth Center for more information.

Please view other childcare options in Monterey. If you are still having difficulty, contact your School Liaison Officer who will work with you to try to find other options.

WHAT DO I DO IF I’M MOVING WITH A CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS?

In the Navy, your School Liaison Officer 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. Learn more about the Navy's Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP).

CAN SCHOOL LIAISON OFFICERS ADVOCATE IN AN IEP FOR MY CHILD?

The Navy School Liaisons are not able to advocate on your behalf. In our program, we offer information and resources, and help you find the right people to talk to at the school or district. If you ever have issues with your IEP or school, please call your School Liaison since we also have many community resources that can offer guidance and direct assistance.

BREAKFAST FOR YOUR BRAIN TUTORIAL PROGRAM

Breakfast for your Brain offers free tutoring in all subjects for students grades K-12 most Saturdays, 9-11 am at the NPS Knox Library. NPS Students, teachers, spouses other adults and high school students are encouraged to volunteer.

Contact: BreakfastForYourBrain@nps.edu for more information.

TUTORING

Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, is a free program that allows eligible college and grades K-12 students in U.S. 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. The service is available at no charge to all grades K-12 students and service members and their families.  Visit https://military.tutor.com/home.  

Important Links for Military Families

USAG Presidio of Monterey - Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation 
https://presidio.armymwr.com/

Addresses transition issues for military children( MCEC)
https://www.militarychild.org/

California Curriculum Standards
https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp 

School Quest-Research future schools( MCEC)
https://schoolquest.militarychild.org/

Assistance for families with ANY issue(Military One Source)
https://militaryonesource.com/

Naval Support Activity Monterey
https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Monterey/  

Naval Post Graduate School
https://www.nps.edu  

Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC)
https://www.dliflc.edu 

Military Housing
https://www.monterey.army.mil
831-242-7979
usarmy.pom.106-sig-bde.mbx.pres-dpw-housing@mail.mil

Free Tutoring and Homework Help
https://www.tutor.com/military

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

California Department of Education

California Schools Dashboard shows how districts and schools are performing on test scores, graduation rates and other measures of student success.

TRANSITIONS

Interstate Compact for Military Children has been signed by the state of California and addresses the key issues of eligibility, enrollment, placement, and graduation encountered by military families.

Military One Source When you need quick access to timely, reliable information about the programs supporting service members and families, Military OneSource is your 24/7 connection to information, answers and support to help you reach your goals, overcome challenges and thrive. 

Military Installations: Are you a service provider looking for a program or service across all installations? Simply 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.

Military Installations School Liaison Directory

My Navy Portal

MyPCS

https://anchored4life.com/ provides transition and resiliency resources and skills to counselors, teachers, parents, and youth. A4L is a peer-to-peer club to connect youth while building transition and resiliency skills. The club provides opportunities for peers to enhance social skills, learn leadership skills, build character, improve self-esteem, and integrate into their community. La Mesa Elementary and Marshall Elementary host Anchored4Life Programs.

Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)  https://www.dodea.edu/  operates 163 schools in 8 Districts located in 11 countries, 7 states, and 2 territories and provides a comprehensive pre-kindergarten through 12th grade curriculum overseas and at select locations in the continental U.S.

Plan My Move: Installation specific information to help families PCS.

The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC): MCEC's work is to ensure inclusive, quality educational opportunities for all military-connected children affected by mobility, transition, deployments and family separation.

National Military Family Association: Founded 43 years ago, the National Military Family Association is the leading non-profit organization focusing on issues important to military families.

Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA): A national organization of school superintendents whose mission is to serve school districts with a high concentration of military children.

Interstate Compact for Military Children:  The Compact has been signed by the state of California and addresses the key issues of Eligibility, Enrollment, Placement and Graduation encountered by military families. Contact your School Liaison for more information.

SPECIAL EDUCATION NAVIGATION RESOURCES

The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) 

The Navy's Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) https://monterey.navylifesw.com/ serves military families with special needs and includes identification of the family member's special needs and enrollment in the program, assignment coordination and family support.  The EFMP is a mandatory enrollment program for sponsors with qualifying family members. Enrollment in the EFMP ensures maximum provision of services to the family throughout the sponsor’s career. 

Military Homefront Special Needs/EFMP: This site includes all enrollment information, toolbox of resources, and worldwide directory.

Tricare ECHO: The Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) provides financial assistance to beneficiaries with special needs for an integrated set of services and supplies

DirectSTEP® eCourses explain legal requirements and best practices for behavior management, autism, IDEA eligibility, IEPs and more. They also teach parents and educators how to handle critical education issues to obtain positive outcomes while applying education laws to the day-to-day world of teaching and learning. These eCourses are available for use by all Sailors, parents, Military/DoD personnel assigned to Navy installations and K-12 educators serving military children. Go to  https://www.lrpdirectstep.com/ecourses and self-register for eCourses.  

Team of Advocates for Special Kids (TASK): A nonprofit charitable organization whose mission is to helps families navigate special education, disability services and assistive technology and enable individuals with disabilities to reach their maximum potential by providing them, their families and the professionals who serve them with training, support, information, resources and referrals, and community awareness programs.

PACER: With over 30 different projects, 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 online https://www.ldonline.org/  The world's leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD, serving more than 200,000 parents, teachers, and other professionals each month.

Exceptional Parents Unlimited: EPU's mission is to strengthen and empower children and families facing extraordinary medical, developmental, and parenting challenges.

Educational Resources

National Parent Teacher Association: An organization dedicated to making a difference in the education, health, and safety of America’s children and youth, PTA's mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.

The Education Trust: Ed Trust supports efforts that expand excellence and equity in education from preschool through college and increase college access and completion, particularly for historically underserved students.

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.

Todaysmilitary.com: Provides overview of joining the military- resources for parents and educators.

POST SECONDARY SUPPORT

Preparing for life after high school can be a daunting process for high school students and their families. Your School Liaison is available to help families and high school students navigate the requirements for college applications, financial aid, scholarships, Veterans’ education benefits for children and career planning.

• California Colleges: The official source for college and career planning in California.

• California State University System: Home page of the 23 campus CSU system.

• University of California System: Links to the 9 Undergraduate Campuses in the UC System.

• Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities: AICCU helps students, families, counselors, member colleges and policy makers research and understand private nonprofit higher education in California.

• California Community Colleges: Find public community colleges in California.

• California Apprenticeship Coordinators Association: Contacts for Union apprenticeships throughout California.

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Student Career Exploration and Statistics

• CalVet College Tuition Fee Waiver for Veteran Dependents The College Tuition Fee Waiver for Veteran Dependents benefit waives mandatory system-wide tuition and fees at any State of California Community College, California State University, or University of California campus.
 

Post 9/11 GI Bill

College Board offers students free grade, activities and test score specific profiles and information on hundreds of colleges.

SAT test registration            ACT test registration

An additional list of scholarship opportunities is available to download .

 StudentAid.ed.gov: Provides student financial assistance resources.

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa  The U.S. Department of Education's office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) provides more than $120 billion in financial aid to help pay for college or career school each year. 

CollegeBoard.org: Offers students free grade, activities and test score specific profiles and information on hundreds of colleges.
GIBill.va.gov: VA website for Post 9/11 GI Bill, transferability and Yellow Ribbon.

fastweb.com: Find schools and ways to pay on FastWEB.
finaid.org: The smart student guide to financial aid.

 

ACADEMY AND ROTC

• todaysmilitary.com: ROTC links for Army, Navy and Air Force. 

MILITARY SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCES

• aid.military.com: Military scholarship search.
• deca.org/scholarships: DECA scholarships for military children.
• fra.org: Fleet Reserve Association.
• vfw.org: Veterans of Foreign Wars.
• anchorscholarship.org: Anchor Scholarships Foundation.

ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCES

• bigfuture.collegeboard.org: College board scholarship search
• collegenet.com: College Net Scholarship database.
• nationalmerit.org: National Merit Scholarships.
• petersons.com: Peterson’s Undergraduate Scholarship Search.
• princetonreview.com: Princeton Review Scholarships and Aid.
• scholarships.com
• www.wingsoveramerica.us

Monterey County is as vast and diverse as can be seen in its 24 school districts and 134 schools registered with the Monterey County Office of Education https://www.montereycoe.org/

Schooling depends on where students live. Families living in military housing (La Mesa Village and the Ord Military Community) are zoned for the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) https://www.mpusd.net/

MPUSD Registration forms and information

TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN AND KINDERGARTEN ELIGIBILITY

When a child turns age 5 by September 1, he/she qualifies for MPUSD's full-day kindergarten program. If a child turns age five between September 2 through March 1, he/she qualifies for MPUSD's free, full-day transitional kindergarten (TK).  

Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten registration follows the same process as above. This web page provides additional information on TK and Kindergarten registration.

Private Schools in and around the Monterey Peninsula

Charter Schools in and around the Monterey Peninsula

Schools Serving the Military Housing Areas on the Monterey Peninsula

Preschools in and around the Monterey Peninsula

The January 2019 issue of Monterey Bay Parent Magazine contains a Monterey County Preschool Guide.   Please see https://www.montereybayparent.com/directories/monterey/#page=1

For more information on local public, private or homeschool, please contact your School Liaison at (831)656-1008 or nsamslo@nps.edu

HOMESCHOOLING IN MONTEREY

California does not observe a statute at this time that deals specifically and exclusively with private home education or schooling at home. However, there are four legal options for homeschooling:

1. Home educators may establish a private school, based in their home, but must file a private school affidavit with the Superintendent of Public Instruction of California.

2. Homeschooling parents may enroll their children in a private school PSP (private school satellite program) that has filed a private school affidavit with the Superintendent of Public Instruction of California.

3. A child being taught by a home-schooling parent, who has valid California teacher’s credential.

4. The home-schooled student may enroll in a public school independent study program.

For more information visit California Department of Education Schooling at Home or Home Schooling Legal Defense Association (www.hslda.org) 

PACIFIC GROVE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Pacific Grove Unified School District www.pgusd.org serves K-12 students in five schools: Forest Grove Elementary https://forestgrove.pgusd.org/ and Robert Down Elementary https://robertdown.pgusd.org/ (K-5),   Pacific Grove Middle School https://pgmiddle.pgusd.org/ (6-8); Pacific Grove High https://pghigh.pgusd.org/ (9-12); and Pacific Grove Community High, a continuation school https://pgchs.pgusd.org/ (9-12). To attend the PGUSD schools, a student must live within the district boundary- which generally means within Pacific Grove city limits, or in Pebble Beach between Pacific Grove and the Bird Rock area. Proof of residence must be brought to the school/district office for verification. If you have any questions about residency or where your current or future address lies relative to the boundary, please call the Business Office at 831-646-6517.

CARMEL UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Carmel Unified School District (CUSD) www.carmelunified.org spans Carmel-by-the-Sea, Carmel Valley, and Big Sur. CUSD has three elementary schools (Carmel River in Carmel,  Tularcitos in Carmel Valley, and Captain Cooper in Big Sur), one middle school (Carmel Middle), and one high school (Carmel High). Additionally, CUSD has a continuation high school (Carmel Valley High), adult programs (Carmel Adult School), preschool and before/after school programs (Carmel Child Development Center).

To enroll your TK-12th grade child in any CUSD school you must meet the criteria for residency. After residency is established you may begin the registration process.

Did you know there are support groups available for your children? Transitioning from place to place can be stressful and confusing for military children. Thankfully there is support available for your children. Anchored4Life is a peer-to-peer club to connect youth while building transition and resiliency skills. The club provides opportunities for peers to enhance social skills, learn leadership skills, build character, improve self-esteem, and integrate into their community. La Mesa Elementary and Marshall Elementary host Anchored4Life Programs. A4L https://anchored4life.com/ provides transition and resiliency resources and skills to counselors, teachers, parents, and youth. 

Walter Colton Middle School offers a Military Student Club, and a Junior Student to Student (JS2S) Club that supports transitioning students. JS2Ss’ welcome new students, give them tours of the school, have lunch with them, and help them to “fit in” as they navigate their new surroundings. In partnership with the Porter Youth Center, Seaside Middle School offers a weekly “Lunch Bunch” for military connected students.

Monterey High School offers a Student to Student (S2S) Club that supports transitioning students. S2Ss’ welcome new students, give them tours of the school, have lunch with them, offer support, and help them to “fit in” as they navigate their new surroundings.

Youth Sponsorship at the Tech Connection (grades 3-12) 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, complete the fields below. Once received, you will be contacted by your School Liaison Officer or Youth Center Manager.

For Youth Sponsorship with School Age Care or Youth Programs, participants must be enrolled or a registered user.

Click here to get started!