Fort Lewis

School Liaison Office - Lewis Main
2140 Liggett Avenue
Bldg 2140, Room 400
Box 339500 MS 20
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA 98433-9500

Phone 253-967-7195
Phone (DSN) 312-357-7195 
Fax 253-966-3151

Mon - Fri 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

On Base

Lewis-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. Senior 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, Woodbrook, Middle School or Mann Middle School 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 in the City of Lakewood.

Children coming to JBLM with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will present a current IEP to the school upon registration of the child into the school system.

Off Base

The children of Joint Base Lewis McChord's servicemembers' live in any one of the 19 additional school districts that surround JBLM. Many of the districts off post have K-5 grade as 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, Governing Schools and 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, 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.

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, so be sure to speak with the counselor on how it will affect your student.

Washington State voters recently (2012) approved charter schools, however, planning is still taking place for implementation. Kindergarten is offered in the majority of LEAs on a half day schedule - either in the morning or in the afternoon. There are districts that offer the opportunity for parents to pay for half day kindergarten so that the child can be provided the opportunity to full day kindergarten and there are some districts that offer full day Kindergarten programs for schools that meet eligibility criteria. Be sure to ask the school if this is available.

Enrollment Requirements

• Birth Certificate if entering Kindergarten or public school for the first time.
• Transcripts from the last school
• Shot Records
• Birth Certificate for Kindergarten and First Grade
• IEP (Individual Education Plan)

On base students register at the school they attend. For more information about Clover Park District Reception, phone 253-583-5000/583-5042/5041, Lacey residents call the North Thurston Public School District, phone 360-493-9000. Or go visit the school liaison webpage to find the telephone numbers.

Dress Code

On base schools run by the Clover Park School District have no set dress code, other than the obvious, e.g. no barefoot, no midriff shirts or clothing, no hats worn in the building. Each school has a guideline set up a school dress code based on the staff, parents and students of the school. The 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 web site listed below.

Off base schools requiring uniform dress are minimal in that a hoodie, polo or t-shirt with school logo and khaki pants/black pants, blue pants and skirts. School sweatpants and sweatshirts are available at the school and some are mandatory.

Extra-curricular Activities

The schools on post hose some after school programs but the majority of after school programming is offered through Child Youth and School Services (CYSS) division such as before and after school programs to include sports for grades K-5. The Skills, Knowledge Instructional, and Educational Services (SKIES) program offers many classes for children to enjoy. 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. On requirement for participating in sports is that the student must be making adequate progress and maintaining grades in order to participate.

Graduation Requirements

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 high school credit
• 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. A graduation toolkit is available online as well.

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

Home Schooling

Families that home school their children must file a letter of intent with the school district in which they live. If the student will require any additional training or education in the public school setting like advanced science or math the student must be enrolled in the district. The Clover Park School District and the state of Washington require that all home schools be registered through the local school district.

Private School

There are also several private and parochial schools in the local area, if this is what you choose for your children.