Joint Base Lewis-McChord  Education

JBLM students that reside on Joint Base Lewis McChord are served by the Clover Park School District. There are six elementary schools on the base: five on Lewis Main and Lewis North locations and one on McChord Field. Middle and high school students living on Lewis Main or Lewis North are bused to Dr. Claudia Thomas Middle School (grades 6-8) and Lakes High School (grades 9-12). Middle and high school students living on McChord Field are bused to Dr. Claudia Thomas Middle School (grades 6-8) and Lakes High School (grades 9-12) or may transfer to Harrison Preparatory (grades 6-12).

On Base

Joint Base Lewis McChord students who reside on JBLM are served by the Clover Park School District. There are six elementary schools on JBLM. Children must have reached their fifth birthday by August 31 to enter kindergarten and must be six years old by August 31 to enter first grade. The High and Middle school students living on post attend school off-post, are bused to the following schools depending where they live on post to: Lakes High School, Clover Park High School, Dr. Claudia Thomas Middle School and Harrison Preparatory Academy depending on which housing area they live on post. Students who may be looking for an academic challenge (grades 6-12) may want to consider General Harrison Preparatory Academy (International Baccalaureate)  in the City of Lakewood.

Children coming to JBLM with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan, you must present the current IEP/504 Plan to the school upon registration of the child into the school system.

Off Base

The children of Joint Base Lewis McChord's Service members' live in any one of the 19 additional school districts that surround JBLM. Many of the districts off post have K-5 elementary school, grades 6-8 as a Middle School and grades 9-12 as a High School, but there are some that have K-6th grade as elementary school, grades 7-9th as Junior High and grades 10-12 as High School, so be sure to ask what the configuration is in the district in which you are looking to live.

Each school district is different in grading scales, meals, B/A school programs, sports, and SPED programs.  Please check with the school itself to discuss the options available for that particular school. You may find a list of school districts on the school liaison website.

Local School Boards

Class sizes, Dress Codes and Grading Systems: Each school's achievement on state testing can be found by district on the state website.

Dress Codes -- Each school sets its dress code and parents are able to purchase the school spirit clothing such as: polo shirts, sweatshirts with and without hoods, and physical education clothing at the school from the registrar. Most schools do not have a formal dress code but do have policies prohibiting vulgar language or inappropriate words for an academic learning environment and some schools have polices governing the use of cell phones during class time and student must sign a statement of understanding.

Counselors at each secondary schools can explain the grading system that is used in the school and how it compares to the school your student has just come from. There may be some differences in the weighting of grades with advanced placement courses or honors courses taken at another school or in another state.   Be sure to speak with the counselor on how it will affect your student.

Washington State voters recently approved charter schools, however, those schools implementation plan has been to start at the lowest grade and allow the first class move up (so the elementary school that started last year will have a new KG, with the last KG and First grade moving up. Kindergarten is offered as a full day program.

Enrollment Requirements by law are as follows:

• Birth Certificate if entering Kindergarten or public school for the first time.
• Transcripts from the last school
• Shot Records
• IEP (Individual Education Plan) if applicable
• Proof of Residence

On base students are being asked to register online at www.cpsd-cloverpark.k12.wa.us and go to the enrollment link. For more information about Clover Park District Reception, phone 253-583-5000/583-5042/5041.  Please visit the school support services webpage to find the school link.

Dress Code

On base schools operated by the Clover Park School District have no set dress code. Each school has a guideline for dress code based on the staff, parents and students of the school. The Clover Park school district does not endorse school uniforms at this time and if further information is needed, the school district can be accessed by going to their website.

Off base schools requiring uniform dress are minimal.  Please check school website.

Extra-curricular Activities

The schools on post have some after school programs but the majority of after school programming is offered through the Child Youth Services (School Age Center –SAC) program such as before and after school programs to include sports for grades K-5. The middle school students are offered sports after school at the seventh grade (state requirement) and high school students have a variety of activities to choose from. A requirement for participating in school sports is that the student must be making adequate progress and maintaining grades in order to participate.

More than 500 private schools operate in the state of Washington. Private schools must be annually approved by the State Board of Education. A private school is a nonpublic school that conducts a program of kindergarten and at least grade one, or a program of any or all grades one through twelve. Private schools must be approved by the State Board of Education as offering a program that ensures a sufficient basic education to meet usual graduation requirements and that meets reasonable standards for the health and safety of private school students. 

For more information about private schools and to see the list of state approved private schools in your area, please visit The Washington State Board of Education website.

Washington State requires a letter of intent to homeschool that is filed with the school district where the student resides. If the student will require any additional training or education in the public school setting, such as advanced science or math, the student must be enrolled in the district. For more information, please visit the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) website.

Each candidate for high school graduation in the state of Washington must have completed the equivalent of a four-year program of educational growth in grades 9-12. Each school district has a list of credits that are required to receive a high school diploma. Credits must meet the requirements of the state and the district.

To earn a high school diploma, a student must:

• Earn the high school credits required
• Pass state tests or approved alternatives to those tests
• Complete a Culminating Project
• Complete a High School and Beyond Plan

For more information on graduation requirements, visit the OSPI website (http://www.k12.wa.us/) 

If you have questions about the school or policies, call the school liaison officer at 253-967-7195