School Liaison

School Liaison: Ida West Jones

When it's time to relocate, the School Liaison is here to help the transition go as smoothly as possible for your children. With Navy families moving every three years on average, a student can attend up to nine different schools by graduation. Our School Liaison (SL) helps families with children in Kindergarten through 12th grade and assists with everything from school registration and homeschool support, to meeting graduation requirements. Getting in contact with the School Liaison as soon as possible will eliminate much of the guesswork for you as a parent. 

What is a School Liaison?

School Liaisons are located at each installation and are the main contact for miltiary families, local school systems, and installation leadership for school-related matters K through 12th grade. School Liaisons are experienced professionals who support, advise, and build partnerships with the civilian and military community to help address common education challenges of military families. 

Who is eligible for School Liaison support?

School Liaison Program support is open to all DoW ID cardholders, educators who service military students and community partners involved with K-12 education. Support is available to all uniformed services, including National Guard and reserves, those in geographically separated units, the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service and the uniformed members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

What types of support do School Liaisons offer? 

School Liaisons offer a wide variety of support to ensure the best possible education for military-connected students. 

Services include: 

• Transition support - including assistance with local school options, transfer of credits, youth sponsorship referrals, and more
• Nontraditional schooling options, including home-schooling
• Special education support and referrals
• Deployment support
• College, career, and military readiness
• Parent and educator workshops
• Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission, or MIC3, compliance

Educators: 

Contact your School Liaison for support with: 

• Military family resources
• Staff development on military culture
• Building partnerships in education
• Deployment support strategies
• Guidance and information on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children

Public School Information

*Please note: In New Jersey, your physical address determines the district of residence and the public schools your children will attend. 

Residents of Naval Weapons Station Earle attend the following schools/school districts: 

Colts Neck Township School District (Grades K-8)

The Colts Neck School District is comprised of three schools: Conover Road Primary School for students in grades K-2, the Conover Road Elementary school for students in grades 3-5, and Cedar Drive Middle School for students in grades 6-8. 

Enrollment and registration information for all three of these schools are done by a central registrar for the district. Registration information can be found by visiting the Colts Necks Township Schools Registration webpage or by contracting the registrar at 732-946-0055 ext. 4114.

Freehold Regional High School District (Grades 9-12)   

The Freehold Regional High School District is comprised of six high schools. Students living on base will attend Colts Neck High School. 

Enrollment for Colts Neck High School must be completed with the guidance office. Please contact the registrar for more information at 732-761-0190 ext. 1030.

The district also offers specialized magnet programs to select students. For more information about these programs click here and inquire with the guidance department during registration. They can also provide you with information about vocational programs offered through the Monmouth County Vocational Schools. 

If you choose not to live on the installation, your physical address determines your district of residence and the public schools that your child(ren) will attend. 

The Naval Weapons Station Earle School Liaison is available to assist with all school districts in Monmouth County, New Jersey, and the surrounding areas. 

Private School Information 

There are many private school options in the Monmouth County area which include, but are not limited to Montessori, Religiously Affiliated, and Special Education to name a few. The New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS) provides a complete listing of private school options for the state of New Jersey. Additionally, The Private School Review can provide a listing of some schools by local city. 

Home School Information

While the state of New Jersey does not require an intent form, it is a courtesy (not a requirement) to the local school district where you reside to write a letter of intent to homeschool your child(ren). For information on homeschooling in New Jersey visit the New Jersey Department of Education frequently asked questions: homeschooling. 

Additional resources for military families choosing to home school: 

HSLDA - Homeschool Association for Military Families 

Military Homeschoolers Around the World - https://militaryhomeschoolers.org/

K-12 Special Needs 

Parents of special needs students can connect with Colts Neck Township Schools or Freehold Regional High School District. 

For Colts Neck Township Schools contact the Director of Special Services at beck@coltsneckschools.org. 

For Colts Neck High School contact Director of Special Services at jhowland@frhsd.com or 732-792-7300 ext. 8590.

Additional resources can be found at New Jersey Department of Education whose mission is providing educators, families, and other stakeholders with the technical assistance, professional learning in evidence-based pratices, and access to instructional materials and resources necessary for students with IEPs to achieve the goals established for all New Jersey students. https://www.nj.gov/education/specialed/

Parents Rights in Special Education

A resource provided by the New Jersey Department of Education that includes the PRISE handbook, school-based and community-based family resources, special education parent advisory groups, and contact information for the special education ombudsman. 

https://www.nj.gov/education/specialed/parents/index.shtml

SPAN Parent Advocacy
Empowers families as advocates and partners in improving education, health/mental health, and human services outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, youth, and young adults. 
https://spanadvocacy.org/programs/military360/

Special Ed Connection

A free web-based resource available to Navy families, provides resources and tools that enable families to better understand special education requirements and available services. 

https://www.specialedconnection.com/ Please contact your local School Liaison for login access. 

Military OneSource

Offers Assistance to families with special needs family members where information can be found by visiting https://www.militaryonesource.mil/special-needs/.

Specialized Training of Military Parents (STOMP)

https://wapave.org/tag/military-families/

Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)

Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Liaisons are located at the Fleet and Family Support Centers and provide information and referral to help EFM families identify and access appropriate military, national and community resources. The EFMP website can be found here: https://www.navylifema.com/support-services/efmp. Additional EFMP information can be found here: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/special-needs/efmp/. They assist in the navigation of EFMP related programs and systems and are responsible for:

• Provision of information, referral and systems navigation to special needs families
• Linking families with the available military, national and local community resources
• Non-medical case management
• Development and maintenance of Individualized Service Plans (ISP)
• Partner with Military Treatment Facility (MTF) Coordinators to provide information, education and marketing

Youth Sponsorship

The Youth Sponsorship Program is designed to assist young people in making the transition from one installation to another successfully. It is our goal to help incoming youth adjust and get connected with a youth sponsor at the installation. Youth Sponsors will provide information about area schools, attractions, and the surrounding community. This program is created by and for youth with youth involvement in every aspect of the program. To apply for a youth sponsor please complete the request form and return to the WPNSTA Earle School Liaison or Youth Center. 

For information about: Child Development Center | School Aged Care | Youth Sponsorship

Please go to https://www.navylifema.com/child-youth for regional information. 

Our website so that parents can get on the waiting list for military childcare. https://public.militarychildcare.csd.disa.mil/mcc-central/mcchome#/ 

For parents who cannot find care within our CYP. There must be registered on https://public.militarychildcare.csd.disa.mil/mcc-central/mcchome#/ and on a waitlist to qualify. https://www.childcareaware.org/fee-assistancerespite/ 

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the kindergarten age cutoff date? 
  • The child must turn five prior to October 1. 
• Do I have to live in the town where the school is located to attend? 
  • Yes. In New Jersey, your physical address determines your district of residence and that is the public school your child will attend. If you live in on-base housing, students in grades K-8 will attend the Colts Neck Township School District and students in grades 9-12 will attend Colts Neck High School which is part of the Freehold Regional High School District. 
• Do the local schools have talented and gifted programs? 
  • Yes. The law requires that school districts must have a process to indentify students as gifted and talented using multiple measures and provide programs and services for gifted learners in grades pre-k to 12. Please visit https://www.nj.gov/education/standards/gifted/ for more information. 

PCS Support 

Military School Liaisons (All Branches)
https://www.dodea.edu/Partnership/schoolLiaisonofficers.cfm

MIC3 - Military Interstate Children Compact Commission 
https://www.mic3.net/

Relocation
https://ffr.cnic.navy.mil/Family-Readiness/Fleet-And-Family-Support-Program/Work-and-Family-Life/Relocation-Assistance/

My Navy Portal 
https://my.navy.mil/

K-12 and Post-Secondary Academic Support 

Tutor.com
No cost, online tutoring and homework help for U.S. Military and their families
https://www.tutor.com/military

Khan Academy
A personalized learning resource for all ages.
https://www.khanacademy.org/

Federal Student Aid - FAFSA
https://studentaid.gov/

ACCESS College Foundation
ACCESS Counselors support high school students with post-secondary planning.
https://accesscollege.org/high-school-advisors/

Join Services Scholarship Database
A comprehensive, fully searchable Join Services Scholarship Database for Military Dependents. 
https://www.partners-in-purpose.com/

Military Family Support

Blue Star Families
www.bluestarfam.org

Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC)
https://www.militarychild.org/

Military OneSource
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/

National Military Family Association (NMFA)
https://www.militaryfamily.org/

Navy Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)
https://www.nmcrs.org/

Navy MWR
https://www.navymwr.org/