Zachary Federico Testimony in Rhode Island: Advanced Enrollment Opportunities for Children of Military Servicemembers

ALEC Veterans and Military Affairs Task Force Director Zachary Federico submitted written testimony to the Rhode Island Senate Special Legislation and Veterans’ Affairs Committee about advanced enrollment opportunities for children of military servicemembers.

Chairman Felag, Vice Chairman Raptakis, and Members of the Committee,

My name is Zach Federico, and I serve as the Director of the Veterans and Military Affairs Task Force at the American Legislative Exchange Council. Thank you for the opportunity to share ALEC’s nonpartisan research and analysis as you consider this legislation to support military-connected children.

ALEC is America’s largest nonpartisan, voluntary membership organization of state legislators dedicated to the principles of limited government, free markets, and federalism. The ALEC Veterans and Military Affairs Task Force includes more than 100 state legislators who collaborate to develop and advance policies that support our nation’s veterans, servicemembers, and military families.

For military-connected children, frequent moves and the disruptions that accompany them are a normal fact of life. More than one million American school-aged children have at least one active-duty parent, and more than 80% attend public schools. On average, these students change schools six to nine times between kindergarten and high school, relocating every two to three years.

To help states support these students, the ALEC Veterans and Military Affairs Task Force unanimously adopted the Uniformed Services Child School Transitions Act as model policy in December. The model policy is based on the Arkansas Military Child School Transitions Act of 2021, which was recognized by the Department of War as the “most robust mechanism to increase flexibility, oversight, accountability, and consistency of the [Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children] and other supportive policies and programs for [military-connected children].”

Advanced enrollment is a key provision of the Uniformed Services Child School Transitions Act. It recognizes military-connected students as resident pupils for purposes of enrollment upon receipt of orders, rather than upon physical presence in the state. This ensures that military-connected students have the same opportunity as other children to register for courses, enroll in specialized academic programs, and apply for charter or magnet school lotteries.

Forty-one other states have already implemented advanced enrollment for military-connected children, and based on ALEC’s nonpartisan research and analysis, these provisions could ease one of the unique challenges military families face during frequent relocations.