Fort Sill

Education: Fort Sill School Liaison
4700 Mow-Way Road, First Floor
Fort Sill, OK 73503

Phone 580-442-2130
Phone (DSN) 312-639-2130
Fax 580-442-7827
Fax (DSN) 312-639-7827

Mon - Fri 7:30 am - 4:00 pm
Sat and Sun - closed

Education

Public School

All public schools in the Fort Sill/Lawton area fall under the Lawton Public School System (LPS) in Comanche County.

Enrollment size within the system: Lawton Public Schools consists of 3 High Schools, 4 Middle Schools and 24 Elementary Schools. The current student enrollment is approximately 15,981 with 1,100 certified teachers.
Pupil/teacher ratio: 14.5 students to 1 teacher.

Schools' record: Graduation rate for Lawton is 98%.
Average ACT Score is 20.2.

All the schools in Lawton are accredited by the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The school year generally runs from late August to mid May.

Children in kindergarten through fifth grade WHO LIVE ON POST attend one of the two public grade schools: Geronimo Road Elementary or Sheridan Road Elementary, both are part of the Lawton Public School system. If you arrive at Fort Sill and will be moving on post within 90 days, you may enroll your child(ren) in one of these schools.

Pre schools education is provided by the Armed Services YMCA, 580-355-5520, and by MWR's three Child Development Center on Fort Sill, Tincher, Grierson and Cooper, 580-442-4756, and most downtown day cares.

Our student population reflects the rich multi-cultured society in America today. With a minority student population of 53%, LPS has provided educational experiences that reflect the multitude of cultural backgrounds from which students come.

In addition, LPS offers numerous programs designed to assist the intellectual, emotional, social and physical development of all students. These programs include: gifted and talented, summer enrichment, extensive special education services, Smart Start program for parents of children from birth to three years, pre-kindergarten classes, transitional first grade, in-school programs for pregnant girls, school-to-work, concurrent college enrollment for juniors and seniors, and limited English proficiency programs.

Extended Day Care

The Lawton Public School System now has extended day-care facilities at 14 sites throughout the district. A fee is required; however, a sliding scale is available.

Enrollment Requirements

Required documents needed for enrolling students are shot records, certified birth certificate, proof of residency, documents from previous schools, if available, and Individual Education Plan (IEP) for students with special needs.

To enroll in kindergarten, children must be 5 years of age before September 2nd. Shot records, proof of residency, and birth certificates are required for first admissions.

Transportation

The Lawton Public School System provides free bus transportation to elementary students living more than 1 mile from their assigned schools. LPS also provides free transportation to secondary students living 1 1/2 mile or more from school.

Food Service

Each school has a food service facility. Free and reduced priced lunches are available for students who meet eligibility requirements.

Graduation Requirements

High school graduation requirements vary. You must contact the Shoemaker Center, 
580-357-6900 for more information. About 49% of graduating seniors in Lawton go on to attend college.

School Liaison

The Fort Sill School Liaison Officer can be contacted at 580-442-4933. The School Liaison Officer (SLO) provides information and assists parents matching the schools and solving issues sometimes encountered by the military families.

Special Needs Education

The Lawton Public Schools Special Service Center offers special education services for 4 year olds and students in elementary and secondary schools.

Special education students in Lawton attend regular schools that are appropriate for their age and grade levels. When possible, special needs students attend regular classes for all or part of the school day.

The Individual Planning Committee develops educational plans and strategies and which includes the student's parents and teachers.

The Lawton Public School District serves or has served students in all 13 Federal Law defined special education categories. These are: Autism; Deaf-blindness; Deafness or Hearing Impairment; Mental retardation; Multiple disabilities; Orthopedic impairments; Other health impairment; Emotional disturbance; Specific learning disability; Speech or language impairment; Traumatic brain injury; Visual impairment; Developmental delays.

The Child Find Coordinator can give your child an educational assessment. Lawton Public Schools do not offer educational assessments during the summer. Contact your Child Find Coordinator to determine where free assessments are offered during the summer.

Sooner Start is Oklahoma's early intervention program designed to meet the needs of infants and toddlers with handicapping conditions. Sooner Start lends a hand to these children and their families. Infants and toddlers through 36 months of age who are developmentally delayed or have a physical or mental condition (such as Downs Syndrome, cerebral palsy, etc.), which will most likely cause a developmental delay, qualify for the program.

Call the Lawton Public School Transportation Center, 580-248-3255, to arrange school bus transportation for children with special needs.

Private School

There are several in the area, below is a list of a few:

• Saint Mary's Catholic School, 580-355-5288
• Lawton Christian Elementary, 580-536-9810
• Lawton Christian Secondary, 580-536-6885
• Lawton Academy of Arts & Sciences-Pre-K to 8th grade, 580-355-0308 
• Trinity Christian Academy Pre-K up to 8th grade, 580-250-1900

The Lawton/Fort Sill area private schools have the same calendar and the same graduation requirements as the Lawton Public Schools.

Home Schooling 

LAWTON-Home Educators' Resource Organization (HERO) of Lawton/Fort Sill 
4612 NE Columbia Avenue, Lawton, OK 73507.

Adult Education

The Center for Adult and Community Education, provides Adult Basic Education classes and General Education Development (GED) testing for residents of Comanche County. For more information, call the Center for Adult and Community Education, 580-355-7727. 
The Great Plains Area Vocational Technical School provides vocational-technical education to high school and adult students. For more information, call 580-355-6371.

Cameron University, located in Lawton, offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degrees. For more information, call 580-581-2230 College classes are offered on Fort Sill by Oklahoma University, Oklahoma City University, Pikes Peak College, Webster University, and many more. Call the Education Center on Fort Sill, 580-442-3876, for more information.

The Fort Sill Army Education Center provides counseling, instruction and training support services, and testing for both soldier and family members as well as tuition assistance to soldiers pursuing recognized personal and professional self-development opportunities. Every action starts by seeing a counselor, available on a walk-in basis, 8:00 a.m. to 3:50 p.m., Monday through Friday. Counselors provide advisement and assistance for:

Requesting transcripts
Applying for admission to on-post universities
Obtaining a military evaluation, SOCAD student agreement and degree plan
Determining educational goals
Enrolling in all college/vocational courses
Obtaining tuition assistance
Obtaining testing services

Tuition assistance covers a Soldier's tuition costs according to the most current policies outlined in service regulations. The soldier must be enrolled in an associate/bachelors/master/certification program to be eligible for Tuition Assistance.