School Support Services
- How SLO's Can Help
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- Build relationships and facilitate communication among Army Families and the local school community
- Inform and assist parents with school transitions and deployment challenges
- Establish school and community partnerships
- Facilitate access to home school resources for parents
- Provide information about college and other post-secondary opportunities and preparation materials
- Inform and assist parents on youth education and school issues
Central Flint Hills Area School Districts
- Geary County USD 475
- Manhattan/Ogden USD 383
- Clay County USD 379
- Chapman USD 473
- Abilene USD 435
- Riley County USD 378
- Rural Vista USD 481
- Herington USD 487
- Morris County USD 417
- Wamego USD 320
- Rock Creek USD 323
- Solomon USD 393
- Salina USD 305
- Mill Creek Valley USD 329
- Centre USD 397
- Blue Valley USD 384
Kansas State Department of Education School Building Report Cards
- Youth Sponsorship
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Sponsors for your middle school or high school teens are available either through the youth program or school.
Army Youth Sponsorship Program
The Youth Sponsorship Club can help your teen learn about their new community and make new friends. Getting involved quickly helps children and teens fit in and feel less stress associated with their PCS move. All it takes to join the club is a visit to the school age or youth center or contact the School Liaison Officer.
Youth Sponsorship Registration
Contact your School Liaison Officer (SLO) to request a sponsor. You can download and use the Youth Sponsorship Request form below to help your SLO pair your child with a compatible sponsor.
- Special Education Information
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If you have a child with special needs, we can help you find information about the resources available in your school district. We can also help you connect with your local installation’s Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) office. The EFMP is a mandatory enrollment program that works with other military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive, coordinated, community support in areas such as housing, medical, educational and personal services to Families with special needs.
- References and Resources for Special Education
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Highly mobile children are entitled to an expedited process, including: a). evaluations in 30 days instead of 60 days, b) removed delays due to school district schedules for families moving during incomplete screenings, c) continued Extended School Year for students moving in the summer.
The Center for Parent Information and Resources offers education, acronyms, tools, webinars and a directory of local Parent and Information Training Centers to help parents advocate for their children. The center focuses on proactive support and personal accountability.
Military OneSource has a range of resources to help with caring for a family member with special needs including education, health care, legal, financial points of contact, EFMP, School Liaisons, etc.
Military Community & Family Policy Office of Special Needs provides a directory of age-specific resources and States-at-a-Glance for localized special education resources and information.
Free Army sponsored online training for educators and parents on a host of special education topics at
- Home School
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Home Schooling has become mainstream and widely-used. We offer resources and information to help you provide quality home-based education.
Home School Legal Defense Association provides information on home school law, and general support and information about homeschooling.
What do I have to do in order to legally home-school my child in Kansas?
Unlike some states, Kansas does not specifically authorize "home instruction" or "home schooling" by state statute. However, Kansas does recognize non-accredited private schools. Non-accredited schools are not required to employ teachers who are certified by the state, but their courses must be taught by competent instructors, and they must hold classes for a period of time which is substantially equivalent to the time public schools are in session in the area in which the non-accredited school is located (at least 186 days of not less than 6 hours per day, or 1116 hours per year for grades 1-11). Non-accredited private schools are required by law to register the name and address of the private elementary or secondary school with the state board of education. Registration consists of completing a form provided by the state showing the name and address of the school and the name and address of the official custodian of the school's records. No fee is charged for registration of a non-accredited school.
Helpful links for families interested in home-schooling
- What you need to know about homeschooling in Kansas
- Local home school contact information may be obtained at the Fort Riley Homeschool website
Kansas laws and home schooling resources are available at School Support Services, located at Parent Central Services.
- Transition Support
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We understand that military transitions for children include much more than school plans and enrollment. We have a number of resources to help make your move as easy as possible for the kids, including:
Military Kids Connect provides online age-appropriate resources to help parents, teachers and children cope with the unique challenges of military life.
The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (MIC3) addresses key transition issues military Families experience, including enrollment, placement, attendance, eligibility and graduation. All fifty states have signed the compact and are in varying stages of implementation and/or compliance. The compact applies to children of Active Duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members on active duty orders and members or veterans who are medically discharged or retired within past year. Read more.
School Transition Information: School Liaison Officers are located on each installation to assist military Families with school transition and other education-related issues. Go to Army OneSource for more information.
Military Youth on the Move the Department of Defense designed Military Youth on the Move as one-stop shop for parents and students with moves and deployment.
- Academic and Behavioral Support
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We can help you find information and resources for academic and behavioral support, including:
Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families makes live tutors available online 24/7 to help with more than forty core subjects and standardized test preparation.
Homework Support: Army Child & Youth Services provides homework labs in before/after school programs for elementary students at the School Age Center, and for middle and high school students at the Youth Center.
Support/Resilience Programs: School Support Services include information about other programs you can use for support and resilience-related issues.
Military Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) are available to meet in-person on or off the military installation. The free non-medical sessions are anonymous and may occur in individual, couple, family or group settings. Child Behavioral Specialists are located on the installation in Child & Youth Services programs, and in highly-impacted schools located on and off the installation.
Military OneSource has access to free non-medical counseling that’s anonymous and available online, by phone or in person. Twelve free sessions may occur in individual, couple, family or group settings.
Real Warriors is a multimedia behavioral health support center with tips for helping children cope with deployments and reunions.
National Military Family Association produces MyMilitaryLife, a free iPhone and Android app that provides Families with credible information tailored to your needs.
FREE SAT/ACT Prep: eKnowledge Corporation offers donated SAT/ACT preparation programs for eligible military-connected students. For more information visit the eKnowledge website.
SOAR is a free website providing students and parents with tutorials in math, language arts, and SAT/ACT preparation. For more information visit the SOAR website.
- Fort Riley Area Seconday School Support
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School Support Services - Academic
- Frequently Asked Questions
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What are Common Core State Standards and Assessments?
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) focus on developing the critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that students need for entry-level careers, freshman college courses and workforce training programs. The standards detail what K-12 students should know at the end of each grade. Most states and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) have adopted the standards in English Language Arts and mathematics. There are two assessments being developed to measure student success (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers and Smarter Balanced). The decision of which assessment to use is determined by individual state education agencies.
www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/common-core-assessments
http://parcconline.org/parcc-assessment
What is a Unique Military Child Identifier? Numerous states have enacted a voluntary report-only self-identification of military children within their public school systems. This data collection would allow monitoring of critical elements such as academic progress and proficiency, special and advanced program participation, mobility and dropout rates. Requirements and methods of collection vary from state to state.
www.usa4militaryfamilies.dod.mil/MOS/f?p=USA4:HOME:0
www.militarychild.org/military-student-identifier
What are Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Schools? DoDEA is a civilian agency of the Department of Defense that manages schools for military children (pre-kindergarten through K12) on a limited number of installations in the United States and worldwide. DoDEA operates the Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Education Schools (DDESS) within the U.S. and the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) overseas. While DoDEA schools do not fall under federal education programs like No Child Left Behind (the Elementary and Secondary Education Act - ESEA) there is a formal agreement between the Department of Education and the Department of Defense that provides for cooperative arrangements. DoDEA schools use the Common Core State Standards and follow the accountability guidelines mandated for all public schools receiving ESEA funds.
Where do the children of on-post housing occupants attend school?
Children in kindergarten through 5th grade attend one of five elementary schools on post. Grades 6-8 attend Fort Riley Middle School on post. High school-aged youth, grades 9-12, are bused to Junction City High School.How old must my child be to start kindergarten?
Any child who attains the age of 5 on or before Aug. 31 of the school year is eligible to attend kindergarten in the state of Kansas. Also, any child who was a resident in another state and was enrolled in and attended kindergarten is eligible for kindergarten in Kansas, regardless of the child’s age.Are students required to wear school uniforms in Fort Riley schools?
None of the public school districts serving the Fort Riley area are currently requiring uniforms for students. Each school district does have its own policy regarding appropriate dress for school. Check with your specific school’s principal for information regarding these policies. Some private schools in the area do have uniform policies.What records and documents will I need to enroll my child in school?
School enrollments typically take place at the school building your student will be attending. Parents are strongly encouraged to bring photocopies of all academic records with them whenever they PCS to a new duty station (do not put these with your household goods).The following records are required at the time of your student’s enrollment:
- Child Health Assessment (physical examination): Children age 8 or under, enrolling in a Kansas school for the first time, will be required to present results of a Child Health Assessment to have been completed within 12 months of school entry or within 90 days after school entry. This also applies to preschool children entering school for the first time. Parents are strongly encouraged to make appointments early for completion of the Health Assessment prior to the first day of school.
- Kansas Certificate of Immunization Card (KCI)
- Grade cards, certified transcripts, special education IEPs, or similar record or data of previous school attendance
- Proof of identity (birth certificate, passport, driver’s license)
What are the Kansas graduation requirements?
Wondering about graduation requirements in the Fort Riley Area? Check the resources below for answers.- Consult page 18 of the Junction City High School handbook
- Manhattan High School
- State of Kansas Qualified Admission Guidelines
U.S. Department of Education guidance for highly mobile children
Ensuring a high-quality education for highly mobile children is a critical responsibility for all of us. Highly mobile children include children experiencing frequent family moves into new school districts, such as military-connected children, migrant children, children in the foster care system, and children who are homeless. While these children often possess remarkable resilience, they also experience formidable challenges as they cope with frequent educational transitions. Learn more here.Military OneSource resources for children with special needs
Access information including an education directory for children with special needs, an overview of special education, your PCS and special education services and more. Learn more here.
Hours of Operation
| Monday | 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. |
| Thursday | 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. |
| Friday | 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
| Federal Holidays | Closed |
School Support Services (SSS) provides Army school-aged youth with educational opportunities, resources and information necessary to achieve academic success. A branch of Child and Youth Services (CYS), SSS is home to the School Liaison Office, where School Liaison Officers (SLOs) help deliver the best educational resources and information for your children.
We specialize in education transitions, and make sure incoming and exiting Families have information about local schools, graduation requirements, after-school services/programs, youth sponsorship programs and home schooling. We also help parents better understand the education process, school organization and interaction strategies.
