Education

Department of the Air Force School Liaison Program

The average military child attends 9 schools during their parent’s military career.  With each move, military children and families face many school-related challenges. 

Rest assured, School Liaison Program Managers (SLPM) are working together to provide support to students and families throughout the world. No matter where your military service takes you, we will be there to assist you in making a positive school transition. The Robins AFB School Liaison can be reached at 478-327-5524, DSN 497-5524 or Cell 478-337-1003.

A worldwide listing of School Liaisons can be found at: World-wide School Liaison Directory

Joint Service School Liaisons are committed to outreach, advocacy, and partnership initiatives that generate real- time solutions for military-connected students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 as they face global educational challenges and transitions.

The goals of the program are to:

• Connect schools, families and communities to meet the unique needs of PreK-12 military connected students
• Cultivate communication pathways between families, schools, community stakeholders and the military
• Customize real-time solutions for military connected students facing transitional barriers and educational gaps
• Collaborate with community stakeholders to build a platform for enhanced educational opportunities and partnerships
• Comprehensive professional development for educators to understand the military lifestyle
• Construct a network of extensive resources for building resilient communities
• Create a system of support for military connected students experiencing parental deployment or separation

For more information on this program contact the School Liaison at DSN 312-497-5524 or Cell 478-337-1003.

The Houston County school system educates more than 30,000 K-12 students on 39 campuses. Students excel in many areas, outperforming state and national test averages.

Houston County School System at a Glance

• Enrollment as of October 2020 is about 29,750
• 39 Schools
• 24 elementary schools (Pre-K through 5)
• 8 middle schools (grades 6-8)
• 5 high schools (grades 9-12)
• 1 virtual school
• 1 Career Academy
• Pupil-teacher ratio 14:1 (total number of teachers divided into enrollment)
• 2020 graduation rate:  Houston County = 89.6%; Georgia = 83.8%

chool Registration Procedures

All new students enroll for school at the Central Registration office. At this one-stop-shop, parents register their child(ren) and obtain information on the services offered whether the student is regular education, gifted and talented or special needs. They will also be provided information on transportation regarding the bus stops, bus number and schedule. Parents are encouraged to complete the online registration prior to visiting the central registration office, with all required documentation. These forms and a list of required items may be found on the Houston County School District's link at www.hcbe.net/centralregistration.  The website also has other pertinent information such as answers to anticipated questions. Central Registration is located at 410 Bear Country Blvd Warner Robins, phone 478-741-3610, or email, CentralRegistration@hcbe.net.

The following items are required for registration:

• Parent/Guardian Photo ID
• Certified Birth Certificate
• Guardianship/Custody Orders if the child does not live with his natural parents
• Two Proofs of Residency- Lease or Mortgage plus one of the following:
• Utility bill or Service Cut-On Order (electric, water or cable bill)
• Property tax statement or income tax statement
• Automobile registration or insurance
• Mail from any government agency
• Social Security Card
• GA Form 3300 - Ear, Eye, and Dental Screening (military families have 30 days from registration to complete and turn in this form)
• GA Form 3231 - Georgia Immunization Certificate (military families have 30 days from registration to complete and turn in this form, however, district requests some proof of immunizations at initial registration appointment)
• School Records and Last Report Card, if transferring from another school system

The GA 3300 and GA 3231 must be signed by a provider practicing in the state of Georgia. Vaccinations and vaccination records may be obtained from the Houston County Health Department, a private physician, or the Robins AFB Immunization Clinic.

The local area also offers a number of private schools providing academic programs for preschool to high school.  For more information or a list of local private schools, contact the School Liason Office by calling COMM 478-327-5524 or DSN 312-497-5524.

School Zoning

The Houston County Board of Education does not offer school of choice. Board policy requires that students attend school in the zone in which they reside.  School choice is not an option except in unique circumstances.  One of these exceptions is a House Bill 224 (HB 224) transfer for military families who live on an installation.

The 2017, Georgia General Assembly approved HB 224 giving a school aged child of a military service member living on a military base the option to request any school within the school system based on space availability. Local school districts determine space availability after all assigned students have been enrolled. Visit the website hcbe.net under "Zoning" or the military family support tab for more information.

School zone maps can be found at the Houston County School District’s zoning page at: https://www.hcbe.net/zoning.

Students residing in the Temporary Lodging Facility will attend the following Houston County public schools:

• Grades Pre-K through 2: CB Watson Primary School
• Grades 3 through 5: Pearl Stephens Elementary School
• Grades 6 through 8: Huntington Middle School
• Grades 9 through 12: Warner Robins High School.

Age Requirements

Any child shall be eligible for admission to kindergarten if he or she has attained the age of five (5) years old on or before September 1 of the school year. 

For admission to first grade, a student shall be six (6) years old on or before September 1 of the school year and shall satisfy one of the following:

Georgia also provides a public Pre-Kindergarten Program for students who are four (4) years old on or before September 1 of the school year.  There are a limited number of slots in the Georgia Pre-K program and many school districts hold a computer generated lottery to select which students receive a slot. In addition to the public schools offering the Georgia Pre-K, many local private learning centers and daycares also offer the same state funded Pre-K program in their centers.  For more information, contact the School Liaison at 478-327-5524 or visit Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Learning at http://www.decal.ga.gov.

Grading System for Georgia Public Schools:

• 90 – 100 = A
• 80 – 89 = B
• 70 – 79 = C
• Below 70 = F (no credit)

Some elective and elementary courses use additional criteria for certain courses or conduct.

• Excellent (E)
• Satisfactory (S)
• Needs Improvement (N)
• Unsatisfactory (U)

Homeschooling

The Georgia Department of Education requires a Declaration of Intent for each of child that will be homeschooled.  Declarations of Intent must be submitted by 1 September or within 30 days of starting a homeschool program.

Subject areas must include, but are not limited to instruction in Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science.

The school year must include the equivalent of 180 days of at least 4-1/2 hours of instruction per day unless the child is physically unable to comply with this requirement.

Visit https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Pages/Home-Schools.aspx for the Declaration of Intent and additional requirements, including the requirement to take nationally norm referenced testing beginning in 3^rd grade. State standardized testing is not required.