(STATEHOUSE) Jan. 15, 2009 - Children of military families would experience easier academic transitions under a proposal by state Rep. Eric Koch (R-Bedford). 

     House Bill 1268, authored by Rep. Koch, would enact the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, an interstate agreement that addresses common problems affecting children of military families because of frequent moves and deployments.

     The student in a military family faces transition challenges more than twice during high school, and most military children will attend six to nine different school systems in between kindergarten and high school graduation. The challenges include transferring school records, changes in graduations requirements, entrance and exit testing, extracurricular activities and varying academic requirements.

     The compact, developed by The Council of State Governments in cooperation with the Department of Defense, has been enacted by 11 states.  States within the compact agree to work collectively with each other to create uniform standards of practice for issues facing children of military families, including:

• Facilitating the timely enrollment of children of military families.
• Facilitating the student placement process.
• Facilitating the qualifications and eligibility for enrollment and participation in educational programs and extracurricular activities.
• Facilitating the timely graduation of children of military families.
• Providing for the adoption and enforcement of rules to implement the compact.
• Providing for the uniform collection and sharing of information.
• Promoting coordination between the compact and other compacts affecting children of military families.
• Promoting flexibility and cooperation among the educational systems, students, and families to achieve educational success for the students.

     Rep. Koch serves House District 65, which includes parts of Bartholomew, Brown, Jackson, and Lawrence counties.

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