Assistance to Local Educational Agencies for Defense Dependents&apos; Education (&quot;Update&quot;), February 2014
Author: Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Federal Legislation,Military Personnel,Public Schools,School Districts,Population Trends,Military Service,Federal Aid,Geographic Location,Educational Finance,Access to Education,State Government,Federal Government,Local Government,Government Role,Elementary Secondary Education,Partnerships in Education,Student Needs,Enrollment Trends

Section 574 of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, as amended, requires the Secretary of Defense to identify the projected changes in military dependent students by installation as a result of force structure changes, relocation of military units, or the closure or realignment of installations under base closure laws. Section 574 also requires a plan for outreach to be conducted for assisting affected local educational agencies (LEAs) along with recommendations from the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) for assisting impacted LEAs. This update represents the eighth such annual update to Congress. The original intent of the report was to understand and alleviate the impact of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) on LEAs, which was completed in September of 2011. However, ongoing fluctuations in military dependent student populations require continued Department of Defense (DoD) assistance to impacted LEAs. Contributors to this report include the Military Departments, the Department of Education, OEA, and the Office of Military Community &amp; Family Policy. Military department projections for school year (SY) 2014-15 show a loss of nearly 4,600 military dependent students (military, civilian and contractors) at the 40 installations reported, compared with a loss of about 5,000 during SY 2013-14 at 64 installations. Fort Campbell is projected to gain the most at about 500 military dependent students, while Fort Knox is projected to lose the most at about 1,300. This is the first year that the number of military dependent students (excluding DoD civilians and contractors) is projected to decline (3,339). The projected change by school year is included by state (Appendix 1), Military Service (Appendix 2), and by growth and loss (Appendix 3). This year's update also includes an analysis of six years (SY 2006-07 through 2011-12) of Federal Impact Aid (FIA) data to identify the states and LEAs most impacted by the military (Tables 1-3), as well as those states and LEAs that have experienced the most growth and loss (Tables 4-6). FIA is currently the only data source identifying the LEAs military dependent students attend. FIA data reveal that more than two-thirds of all military dependent students are in 10 states, seven of which grew, while the other three lost in SY 20011-12. As expected, the LEAs with the highest concentration of military dependent students are associated with the states with the most military dependent students. This update concludes with a plan for outreach to LEAs that highlights initiatives that enhance: 1) the ability of impacted LEAs to provide quality educational services for military dependent students and 2) the educational opportunities and outcomes of military dependent students. The Department will continue its deliberate efforts to build relationships between local communities, military installations, LEAs, and state and Federal partners to improve the educational opportunities of military dependent students. Although elementary and secondary education in the United States is generally under the jurisdiction of the state and local governments, DoD recognizes the need for strong partnerships between the Federal Government entities, states, and schools. These partnerships have proven crucial to helping public education systems provide for the unique needs of military dependent students.