Military Families

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Welcome

We welcome all military families to Virginia and look forward to a successful school year. If you are a military family member and have questions about schooling options or need help with your transition, please feel free to contact Dan Dunham, Virginia Department of Education Military Student and Family Specialist.

Virginia is home to some of the nation’s largest and most important military installations, so it is not surprising that Virginia schools educate more military children than any other state in the nation. As of September 2024, there are more than 77,000 military-connected students residing and attending public schools across the Commonwealth.

Frequent moves, family separations through deployments, and reintegration following deployments can make school, home, and community-life challenging for military children. Yet, even in such circumstances, these students continually demonstrate resilience and perseverance. Their contributions to our schools and communities include unique and valuable perspectives on learning, friendship, and growing up.

Virginia is a proud member of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children and is committed to the care and education of the children of the men and women of our armed forces. By partnering with school liaison officers, military leaders, educators, and community organizations, the Virginia Department of Education provides resources and support for military service children and their families during all stages of transition and deployment.

Military Signing Day

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and the Virginia Department of Veterans Services have announced that the Central Virginia “Military Signing Day” event will take place on Friday, May 16, 2025, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. at the Virginia War Memorial. Those interested in attending this event should contact your student's recruiter or Mr. Dan Dunham whose contact information is found on bottom of this page.

Since 2020, the VDOE has been dedicated to the “Military Signing Day” effort. This involves encouraging schools and their communities to set aside a time and place to hold local military signing day events. Doing so enables citizens to gather for the purpose of showing gratitude on behalf of the noble young women and men who will be enlisting in the military or entering Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs upon graduating from high school. We welcome hearing from all school divisions who are holding a local military signing event. Please consider highlighting your event through VDOE social media via #VirginiaMilitarySigningDay.

School Liaison Officers & Exceptional Family Member Program Managers

Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps school liaison officers connect military families with educational opportunities and critical information about state and local school laws, policies, and standards. School liaison officers work in partnership with local school divisions and the leaders of military commands and installations to enhance the public school experiences of military children. Liaison officers equip school division staff with resources and information about the challenges faced by military children while working in partnership with schools and community organizations to raise awareness about the needs of these students. School liaison officers promote parental involvement and assist parents, teachers, and administrators and commanders in troubleshooting and finding solutions to education-related problems. Refer to the School Liaison Officers (SLO) Contact Information (Word) to connect to a military SLO.

Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps Exceptional Family Member Program Managers (EFMP’s) are equipped to provide information, resources, skills, and support to help military families with children with special needs navigate their systems of care. As families gain confidence, they become effective advocates for themselves and their family members, improving the quality of life.

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Contact Information

For more information, contact:
Dan Dunham
Virginia Department of Education
P. O. Box 2120
Richmond, Virginia 23218-2120
(804) 923-0958