Fort McCoy

School Age Services
1668 South J Street
Fort McCoy, WI 54656

Phone 608-388-6814
Phone (DSN) 312-280-6814
Fax 608-388-5776
Fax (DSN) 312-280-5776

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

Education

Public School

There are no elementary or secondary schools located on Fort McCoy but they are within the local communities. Children living in the Fort McCoy South Post Housing area are bused to the Sparta Area School District.

After School Program

Fort McCoy School Age Services (SAS) and the Youth Program (YP) provide an after school program until 5:30 pm Monday thru Friday with study time and open recreation options. There is bus pick up each day at both Sparta and Tomah area schools. There is a fee for those in grades K-5 and no fee for the Middle School/Teen program. On days when schools are closed due to inclement weather after school has begun, busses will pick up students at their respective schools. During non-school days, parents will provide transportation to the Youth Services Center. During days when school is cancelled due to inclement weather prior to school opening, SAS and the YP will be open all day. SAS and the YP do not open early if school is delayed due to inclement weather.  SAS and the YP utilize Boys & Girls Club and 4-H curriculum as well as partnerships with other MWR activities.

Graduation Requirements

The course requirements specified under Public Instruction 18.03, effective Sept 1, 1988, remain in effect through the 2015-16 school year.

A board may not grant a high school diploma to any pupil unless the pupil has earned a minimum of 12.5 credits in grades 9-12 as follows:

• 4 credits of English which incorporate instruction in written communication, oral communication, grammar and usage of the English Language, and literature.
• 3 credits of social studies which incorporate instruction in state and local government.
• 2 credits of mathematics which incorporate instruction in the properties, processes, and symbols of arithmetic and elements of algebra, geometry, and statistics.
• 2 credits of science which incorporate instruction in biological sciences and physical sciences.
• 1.5 credits of physical education which incorporate instruction in the effects of exercise on the human body, health-related physical fitness, and activities for lifetime use.
• At least .5 credit of health education which incorporates instruction in personal, family, community, and environmental health must be earned in grades 7-12.
• In addition to the minimum course requirements, the state superintendent encourages boards to require a minimum of 8.5 additional credits in vocational education, foreign languages, fine arts, and other courses.
• Schools may require community service as a graduation criterion.
• Under s.118.33 (1)(a), students graduating in the 2016-17 school year and thereafter must have at least 3 credits of mathematics and 3 credits of science.

Enrollment Requirements

Following are the minimum required immunizations for each age/grade level. It is not a recommended immunization schedule for infants and preschoolers. For that schedule, contact your doctor or local health department. DTP is Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis, also called combination baby shots or 3-in-1 shots, and used for children under seven years of age. DTaP is Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular Pertussis. DT is pediatric Diphtheria-Tetanus without pertussis for those few children under age seven who, for medical reasons, should not receive Pertussis vaccine. Td is the Tetanus-Diphtheria shot for ages seven and above. MMR is the Mumps, Measles and Rubella vaccine and Var is Varicella, or Chickenpox.

1. DTP/DTaP/DT vaccine for children entering Kindergarten: Your child must have received one dose after the 4th birthday (either the 3rd, 4th, or 5th) to be compliant. (Note: a dose 4 days or less before the 4th birthday is also acceptable).

2. DTP/DTaP/DT/Td vaccine for students entering grades 1 through 12: Four doses are required. However, if your child received the 3rd dose after the 4th birthday, further doses are not required. (Note: a dose 4 days or less before the 4th birthday is also acceptable).

3. Tdap means adolescent tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis vaccine. If your child received a dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine, such as Td, within 5 years of entering the grade in which Tdap is required, your child is compliant and a dose of Tdap vaccine is not required.

4. Polio vaccine for students entering grades Kindergarten through 12: Four doses are required. However, if your child received the 3rd dose after the 4th birthday, further doses are not required. (Note: a dose 4 days or less before the 4th birthday is also acceptable).

5. The first dose of MMR vaccine must have been received on or after the first birthday (Note: a dose 4 days or less before the 1st birthday is also acceptable).

6. Var means Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine. A history of chickenpox disease is also acceptable.

Local School Districts

For information on local school districts, you may visit the following web sites: 

• Holmen 

• La Crosse 

• Onalaska 

• Sparta 

• Tomah

• West Salem

To obtain links to many of the local area school districts in Western Wisconsin, you may visit the Cooperative Educational Service Agency #4 website. 

School Liaison Services

Fort McCoy's School Liaison Officer is committed to addressing school and transition issues of the mobile military child. The School Liaison Officer role is to manage, coordinate, and facilitate education support services that maximize the opportunity for academic success for military children. For additional information, call 608-388-6814 or DSN 312-280-6814.

Private Schools

If you prefer to enroll your child in a private school, there are a number of secular and non-secular schools from which to choose. For a listing of Monroe County schools, click here and for a listing of La Crosse County schools, click here.

Home Schooling

For information on home-schooling, visit the Wisconsin Dept of Public Instruction athttp://www.dpi.state.wi.us 
Following are questions and DPI Responses Relating to Home-Based Private Educational Programs:
What is a home-based private educational program?

Under Wisconsin Statute 118.15(4), a parent or guardian has the right to select a home-based private educational program, commonly referred to as homeschooling, for his or her child or children, in order to comply with the compulsory school attendance law.  If this option is chosen, the parent or guardian is required to complete the online PI-1206 Homeschool Enrollment Report.  
Wisconsin Statute 115.001(3g) states, "Home-based private educational program means a program of educational instruction provided to a child by the child's parent or guardian or by a person designated by the parent or guardian.  An instructional program provided to more than one family unit does not constitute a home-based private educational program."

Can I enroll my child in homeschooling instead of a public or private school?

Yes.  Homeschooling is an alternative to attendance at a public or private school under Wisconsin's compulsory school attendance law, s.  118.15(1)(a), Wis.  Stats.  The compulsory school attendance law requires that, "... any person having under control a child who is between the ages of 6 and 18 years shall cause the child to attend school regularly during the full period and hours, religious holidays excepted, that the public or private school in which the child should be enrolled is in session until the end of the school term, quarter or semester of the school year in which the child becomes 18 years of age." Wisconsin Statute 118.15(4) states, "Instruction in a home-based private educational program that meets all of the criteria under s.  118.165(1) may be substituted for attendance at a public or private school."

What are the requirements for a homeschooling program?

Wisconsin Statute 118.165(1) specifies that a home-based private educational program must provide "... at least 875 hours of instruction each school year."  In addition, the program must provide a "... sequentially progressive curriculum of fundamental instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and health."  The statutes contain no express authority for any agency or school district to monitor home-based private educational programs or to verify the hours of instruction provided or the use of a sequential curriculum.  However, it is recommended that homeschooling parents maintain records of the instruction provided as this information may be used by prospective employers, including the military, and any post-secondary institutions to which the student may apply in the future.

How can I enroll my child in a homeschooling program?

Wisconsin Statute 115.30(3) requires the child's parent or guardian to file the online PI-1206 homeschool enrollment report, which is available online from the Department of Public Instruction's website at: http://dpi.wi.gov/sms/homeb.html.

Adult Education

88th Regional Support Center Command Education & Learning Center: Building 50, Room 123. The center offers information on local or online colleges and universities and information regarding Federal Tuition Assistance for Soldiers and testing services. For information contact the Fort McCoy Education and Learning Center at 608-388-7311 or DSN 312-280-7311.