A new piece of legislation that recently passed in the state Assembly would help to simplify school enrollment for children in military families.
Proposed by Assemblyman Edward Braunstein, bill A.6528-A allows military families relocating to New York state to enroll their children in school prior to physically arriving in the neighborhood. The bill officially passed on May 19 in the midst of Military Appreciation Month and ahead of Memorial Day.
According to statistics from the United States Department of Defense, the average child in a military family will move between six to nine times during their time in school. Over 185,000 military children move between schools every year, causing many to miss important registration, application or extracurricular enrollment periods. The bill would allow military children to start in school at the same time as their peers, giving them a sense of normalcy.
“As we prepare to honor the servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country this Memorial Day, I’m proud to advance legislation that seeks to alleviate the challenges military members and their families face due to frequent moves,” said Braunstein. “This important legislation would help offer military children the best possible educational experience while they and their families call New York state home.”
If the bill is enacted, New York would become the 25th state to enact a policy for military children to help ensure their uninterrupted education and timely graduation.
“With over 16,500 active duty military school-age children attending school in this state, New York is in a unique position to have a positive effect on the educational experiences of military children and families by enacting this legislation. We are grateful to Assemblyman Ed Braunstein, who represents Fort Totten, for helping shepherd this important legislation through the Assembly,” wrote the United States Department of Defense in a memorandum of support for the bill.
The companion bill is being carried in the state Senate by Senator James Skoufis.
