“PCS Season” Comes With a Lot of Paperwork.
When orders come, I bring out the binder. I have a huge binder filled to the brim of essentials for every Permanent Change of Station (PCS). I mean….absolutely full. Before having children, it wasn’t nearly as full, but since having kids, I have even more need for a fully stocked binder.
No one wants to be unprepared when transferring schools with your young one. Imagine getting blindsided when the school asks you for immunization records and you are realizing you left them in the shipment (taking forever to get to your new home). Or maybe realizing that your child cannot get the services they need because the evaluations didn’t make it into your hands.
Don’t risk it! Don’t get caught in a panic trying to fix everything! Plan ahead and I promise it will pay off.
Save to Pinterest!
Here are all the things I make sure to have before changing my military kids’ school.
It Starts With a Binder
The binder is going to be your number one item because this is going to hold ALL. THE. THINGS. I have seen some really cool filing systems and even file folders hold everything in a tote. I always gravitate towards these amazing zippered binders. I remember once having ALL the items in the binder fall out all over the floor of the car and it was such a pain to deal with. With these zippered binders, everything is secured safely.
Once you get the binder that best suits your wants and needs, it’s time to fill it up!
What to Include:
Vaccination and Medical Records
All schools require an official copy of their vaccine records from your medical provider. Grab one (whether digital on a flash drive or a hard copy) and then make about 4 more copies. Stick these inside of your binder in the medical section ready to hand to anyone who needs them. If your child takes medications during the school day or has emergency meds (EpiPen, inhaler, etc), put that info there, too
Most Recent Report Cards
As someone who works in schools, I can tell you, basically every teacher will thank you for having your child’s latest report car or progress report. This shows what grade your child is in and also sheds light on academic performance.
Notes from Past Parent/Teacher Conferences and All Related Teacher Notes
Report Cards are great, but specific teacher notes (both negative and positive) provide even more details into the student’s learning potential, strengths and weaknesses
Copies of Standardized Test Results
Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Cognitive Assessments, etc would be included in this section. Most assessments results are compiled into a formal evaluation report, making it easier to add to the binder. Each of these will most likely be repeated at some point in the future and having a reference point is helpful for those professionals.
Copy of Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan
Receiving (new) schools MUST provide comparable services to the sending (old) school. To do that, the new school has to have a hard copy of the old school’s IEP or 504 Plan. Many times this can be digitally transferred, but having a hard copy can usually get the documents into the correct hands faster.
Every school and district has its own particular way of writing and managing education plans. Similar to standardized testing results, the current IEP gives everyone place to start from.
Gifted and Talented (GT) plan
Similar to students receiving special education services, having something in writing about your child’s placement in the gifted and talented program will usually make the transition smoother. Examples include an official acceptance letter, test results or an education plan. Per the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3), Gifted and Talented programs MUST accept moving military students if they were in a similar program at the last school. They may, however, retest to confirm placement.
Legal Documents (Custody Forms, Court Orders, POAs etc)
Be sure to include ALL relevant legal documents, like court orders and powers of attorney. And let the school know right away what that deal is, especially when it’s complicated. They’re first order of business is keeping your child safe and comfortable.
Copy of Orders
This is usually found in your PCS Binder anyway, but best to keep a couple more with your child’s education documents to be on the safe side. Some schools take this as a Proof of Residence and others do not. Regardless, it comes in handy, especially when transferring mid-year.
Proof of Residence (At Least Two)
In order to register your child into the school, most require you to provide at least 1, if not 2 different proofs of residence. This could be anything from a utility bill to a lease agreement. As I said before, some schools may take a copy of your orders if you are not quite in the area yet, showing you will be in the area soon.
Important Tips to Remember
- Before you even arrive at your new duty station, take a quick peek at potential schools online. Research the good, bad and ugly because different schools may offer different programs or have different resources depending on your needs and wants.
- Consider reaching out via Social media to current families of the school
- Consider letters of recommendation if your child has special interest or is an athlete.
- On registration day, bring your education binder with all contents, photo ids and social security cards (just to be safe). You will need to do this for every school your children will be attending.
- Pick up the supply lists and ask about meet the teacher day in the fall.
- When you arrive to meet the teacher, be sure to have you or your child fill out a get-to-know form to give the teacher as much information as possible.
Grab your free printable checklist!
This post comes with a free printable PCS checklist for changing schools. Make it easy to remember all the things you need when your military child changes schools. You can snag it below for FREE!
