Fort Sill  Education

All public schools in the Fort Sill/Lawton area fall under the Lawton Public School System (LPS) in Comanche County.

Fort Sill Schools

Children who live on Fort Sill attend school on post at Freedom Elementary (Pre-K - 5th grade), Central Middle School (6th - 8th grade), or Lawton High School (9th - 12th grade).

Pre-K

Pre-K is optional in Oklahoma but strongly encouraged. Pre-K offered by a public school is free. Children entering Pre-K must be 4 years old before September 1 of the current school year.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten is mandatory in Oklahoma. Children entering Kindergarten must be 5 years of age and students entering First Grade must be 6 years of age on or before September 1 of the current school year.

School Liaison Officer

If you need more information regarding the educational options or your unique educational situation, please contact the SLO at 580-442-2130.

https://sill.armymwr.com/programs/school-support-services

Fort Sill School Liaison (SLO) 580-442-2130

Fort Sill is located within the Lawton Public School (LPS) district. In addition, there are a number of smaller school districts which surround the Lawton/Fort Sill community. As a general rule, children must attend school in the district, in which they reside. Opportunities for school district transfers are very limited.

Enrollment size within the system: Lawton Public Schools consists of 3 High Schools, 4 Middle Schools, 17 Elementary Schools and 1 Pre-Kindergarten center. The current student enrollment is approximately 15,000 with 1,100 certified teachers.

Schools' record: Graduation rate for Lawton is 99.4%.

Average ACT Score is 21.2.

All the schools in Lawton are accredited by the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The school year generally runs from mid-August to mid-May.

Families residing on Fort Sill with school-age children, Pre-Kindergarten through Fifth Grade, attend Freedom Elementary, part of the Lawton Public School District. Middle and High School students residing on Fort Sill attend Central Middle and Lawton High School. If you arrive at Fort Sill and will be moving on post within 90 days, you may enroll your child(ren) in Freedom Elementary. Lawton Public Schools utilizes an online registration system (http://www.lawtonps.org/registration--29).

Pre-K is optional in Oklahoma, but enrollment in a Pre-K or Pre-School program is beneficial to children.  Eleven of the elementary schools in Lawton and all of the public schools in the surrounding communities offer free Pre-Kindergarten for children who have reached 4 years of age by September 1st of the current school year. Students eligible for Pre-K must contact their neighborhood school to be assigned to a Pre-K spot, or to be placed on the wait list if Pre-K at the assigned school is full. Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children does not address entrance age for Pre-K, therefore, schools are not obligated to enroll a student who does not meet the age requirement, even if he/she was in Pre-K in another state.

Preschool education is offered through CYS Child Development Centers on Fort Sill, the Armed Services YMCA, and numerous off-post child care centers. To enroll in CYS Preschool, families must first register with Military Child Care.com, then make a registration appointment with Parent Central Services by calling 580-442-3476. For information regarding off-post pre-schools, check the Oklahoma Department of Human Services website to see inspection reports.

Extended Day Care

LPS Elementary schools offer fee-based before/after school program. Numerous child care centers in Lawton and the surrounding area offer before/after school care along with transportation to/from school each day. Before/after school care with transportation to/from Freedom Elementary is offered through CYS School Age Center, Cooper and Tincher Child Development Centers and Family Child Care homes located on Fort Sill. Families must request care through MilitaryChildCare.com and register with Parent Central Services (580-442-3486).

Enrollment Requirements

Required documents needed for enrolling students are shot records, certified birth certificate, proof of residency, documents from previous schools, if available, and Individual Education Plan (IEP) for students with special needs.

Transportation

All area school districts provide free bus transportation to elementary students living more than 1 mile from their assigned schools and to secondary students living 1 1/2 mile or more from school.

Food Service

Each school has a food service facility on site. Free and Reduced lunch fees are available for students who meet eligibility requirements.

Graduation Requirements

Oklahoma requires 23 Credits for Graduation (9-12) which include: 4 units of Language Arts, 3 units of Math at the Algebra I level or higher (students who complete Algebra I in middle school must still have 3 units of math); 3 units of Laboratory Science; 3 units of History/Citizenship (Including ½ unit of Oklahoma History for students who have not previously completed a state history course); 2 units of the same foreign/non-English language or 2 years of Computer Technology; 1 unit of Fine Art (Music, Art, Drama, Speech, etc.) and 6 or more electives. Students who are in 10th grade are tested in English Language Arts, Math and Science (students who have already scored proficient in Biology may be exempt); tests are not tied to high school graduation.

College and Career Readiness Assessments

11th grade students will take the ACT Test at school (at no cost) and a Science content test. A student who has already completed a Science Assessment (Biology or higher) can be exempt from the Science Assessment. The ACT is required.

School Liaison

The Fort Sill School Liaison Officer can be contacted at 580-442-2130. The School Liaison Officer (SLO) provides information on area school districts, graduation requirements and assists parents with school and transition issues.

Special Needs Education

All area schools provide special education services. Special needs accommodations can vary by school site. The Lawton Public Schools Special Service Center offers special education services for 3 year olds and students in elementary and secondary schools. Area surrounding schools have Cooperative programs that serve Special Education students whose needs exceed the Special Education Faculty qualifications.

Special education students in Lawton attend regular schools that are appropriate for their age and grade levels. When possible, special needs students attend regular classes for all or part of the school day.

The Individual Education Planning Committee (which includes the student's parents and teachers) develops educational plans and strategies for students with special needs. The Exceptional Family Member Program (580-442-6818) can provide advocacy services for families who need assistance navigating the Special Education system.

The Child Find Coordinator can give your child an educational assessment. Lawton Public School Transportation Center, 580-248-3255, can assist with school bus accommodations for children with special needs.

Sooner Start is Oklahoma's Early Intervention program for families of infants and toddlers birth to 36 months, who have developmental delays, disabilities or both. Sooner Start services are designed to meet the developmental needs of each eligible child and the needs of the family related to enhancing the child’s development.

Private Schools

Lawton Christian School PreK - 8^th Grade), 580-536-9810

Lawton Academy of Arts & Sciences (Pre-K 3 to 12th grade), 580-536-1900

Trinity Christian Academy (Pre-K 3 - 8th grade), 580-250-1900

The Lawton/Fort Sill area private schools have approximately the same school calendar and the same graduation requirements as the Lawton Public Schools.

Home Schooling

Oklahoma State Department of Education - sde.ok.gov/home-school

Lawton Christian Home Educators - lche.squarespace.com

Homeschool Oklahoma - homeschooloklahoma.org