Comments Document

Attached find the written testimony of the United States Department of Defense on House Bill 1881.

Madam Chair and members of the Subcommittee: My name is Rick Dwyer and I am the Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance. I am also a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and served over 20 years on active duty. The communities of Hampton Roads collectively support 18 military installations, all six branches of the military services, 120,000 active duty, reserve and civilian personnel, over 125,000 military dependents, and nearly 220,000 veterans. In 2023, the Department of Defense spent over $68.5 billion in Virginia and directly employed over 247,000 people. Needless to say, supporting the military and our national defense is part of who we are in Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth. I am here today to express our strong support for House Bills 1880 and 1881. Highly mobile military children are more likely to experience recurring education disruptions and challenges, particularly those with needs for special education and related services. HB1880 requires the timely establishment of comparable special education services by a receiving school district which can help alleviate these burdens on military families assigned to Virginia. Additionally, military families often have limited housing options when moving to a new location as part of permanent change of station orders, resulting in limited school options for military children. Many military families must also move from temporary to permanent housing at some point after school has started, or from permanent to temporary housing prior to moving out of state on military orders. And some families have no choice but to live in on-base military housing due to command requirements, so they may not be able to access schooling or placement options available to other students. House Bill 1881 would address the unique school enrollment needs of military families by requiring school districts to develop and implement policies to allow military service members to enroll their children in school districts where they do not reside. It would alleviate one of the primary stressors on our military families as they move to Virginia in service of our country. We would like to recommend a minor change to the HB1881 language. Paragraph C contains language that would limit these enrollment options to military members whose “Home of Record” is Virginia. Home of Record is a formal military administrative term and is typically the state where a person joined the military. Home of Record can only be changed if it was done incorrectly at the time of enlistment or when an enlisted member signs a new enlistment contract. If the Home of Record language is not removed, then the majority of service members stationed in Virginia would not benefit from the bill. These bills send a clear signal that Virginia values its strong relationship with the military and is willing to continuously support efforts to make the Commonwealth the most military-friendly state in the country. We humbly request your support of HB1880 and HB1881 that support those who defend our nation. Thank you for your time and consideration.

My name is Michelle Norman, Executive Director and Founder of Partners in PROMISE, a nonprofit organization that advocates on protecting the rights of military children in special education and disability communities to ensure they receive equal access to an education. We develop data-informed solutions that equip parents, inform leaders, and enable military students to thrive. We support these two important provisions, HB 1880 and 1881. Frequent moves disrupt educational services for military-connected children, especially those with disabilities, leading to delays in receiving Individualized Education Program (IEP) services and further compounded with each move. Our data show that military-connected children in special education wait on average 4.25 months for their IEPs to be implemented their new school. The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) helps with education issues, but it lacks specific provisions for children with disabilities. Additionally, unreliable data on military students with disabilities and variations in school choice availability across states further complicate transitions. A unified open enrollment option will give military families with special needs options. Additionally, ensuring comparable services and evaluations, if necessary , are completed within 30 days would positively impact the educational outcomes of our most vulnerable military children. Thank you for your consideration.

I am a military spouse and the mother of two children who were enrolled in public schools in Virginia when my husband received military orders to relocate here. I strongly support Bill 1881 because it addresses an important educational need for military families. This bill would allow military children to continue taking courses that may not be offered at the schools to which they are zoned. Our personal experience highlights the importance of this legislation. While stationed in Okinawa, Japan, my children studied Japanese. However, their zoned school did not offer Japanese language classes. We found a school that did, and we successfully transferred our children there for the first year under a general transfer policy unrelated to military status. Unfortunately, this transfer policy offers no guarantees, as decisions are left entirely to the receiving school’s discretion, with no clear criteria or transparency regarding approvals or denials. The following year, our transfer request was denied without explanation or the opportunity to appeal. As a result, one of my children lost the opportunity to continue studying Japanese in high school, while the older child, fortunately, completed AP Japanese before the transfer was denied. For military families who do not have the privilege to live off base, their children are stuck with on-base schools or public schools zoned for the military bases, which may not offer the classes, sports, or supports they need. This story is not unique. Many military families face similar challenges in aligning school curricula when relocating to new duty stations. One of the first priorities when receiving military orders is finding schools that meet our children’s educational needs. Housing decisions then hinge on whether living within the preferred school’s zone is financially and logistically feasible. In our case, moving into the Langley High School zone, which offers Japanese classes, was far beyond our budget. Experiences like ours have driven me to advocate for policies that remove barriers to educational continuity for military children. I am deeply grateful to Delegate Sewell for introducing this bill, which addresses a critical need for military families across Virginia. I sincerely hope this bill receives the support it deserves to ensure equitable access to quality education for all military children. Thank you for your time and consideration.