Most children with parents in the U.S. Armed Forces attend school in six to nine different school systems between kindergarten and high school. That’s why the Maine Department of Education is committed to making the transfer process as seamless as possible for children of military families.

Maine is one of 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, that belong to the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, or MIC3. States that sign onto the Compact commit to doing what it takes to:

• Enroll children of military families at their new schools as quickly and seamlessly as possible, even in the absence of normally required official records and immunizations; 

         and

• Ensure that students with parents in the Armed Forces stay on track to graduate on time, even when such students’ academic records don’t comply perfectly with local graduation requirements.

Who's Covered by the Compact

• Children of active duty members of the United States uniformed services.
• Children of veterans who retired or were discharged due to medical reasons. The terms of the Compact apply to these children for one year following the retirement or discharge.
• Children of service members who died during active duty or died as a result of injuries sustained during active duty. The terms of the Compact apply to these children for one year following the service member's death.

Responsibilities of Schools Enrolling Students from Military Families

Public schools have the following responsibilities when they enroll students covered by the terms of the Military Interstate Children's Compact:

• Act as quickly as possible to complete the enrollment process, even in the absence of official student records. The receiving school should request official student records from the student's sending school.
• Allow students to continue at their previous grade level, even if local age requirements would not normally allow it. Enroll students in the subsequent grade level if they have completed the prerequisite grade level at the sending school.
• Allow students 30 days to come into compliance with local immunization requirements. (See the Immunization Section of Maine DOE's School Health Manual.)
• To the extent possible, enroll transferring students in academic courses and programs (i.e. gifted and talented, English language learner classes) comparable to those in which they were enrolled at the sending school. The receiving school can administer assessments to determine appropriate course placements.
• Waive application deadlines to allow eligible students to participate in extracurricular activities.
• To facilitate on-time graduation, waive specific course requirements if it's determined students have completed comparable coursework at their previous school. If the receiving school decides against waiving such requirements, the school should provide eligible students with alternative means of meeting graduation requirements.
• When exit exams are required for graduation, accept scores from comparable exams at the sending school, national achievement tests and alternative tests.
• If a student transferring during the last year of high school cannot meet the graduation requirements of the receiving school but can meet those of the sending school, the two schools should arrange for the student to receive a diploma from the sending school.
• Waive tuition requirements for eligible students living within a district's boundaries, but not with their legal custodian.
• Grant eligible students additional excused absences to allow time to visit with an active-duty parent or legal guardian who is deployed, on leave from deployment, or recently returned from deployment in a combat zone or supporting combat operations.

Responsibilities of Sending Schools

Public schools have the following responsibility when students covered by the terms of the Military Interstate Children's Compact transfer to a school in a different jurisdiction:

• Upon request, send official student records to the student's receiving school to facilitate a quick and seamless transfer. If official records cannot be released, release unofficial records to the parents to facilitate the transfer.

Maine Resources

• Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission (MIC3). Maine adopted the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children in June 2009. It is the purpose of the Interstate Compact, also known as MIC3 (Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission) to ensure educational equity for military dependent children despite issues of transiency and deployment that clearly impact these student’s academic, social, and emotional needs.
• Maine’s MIC3 Council Members. Council membership includes members of the State House and Senate, high-ranking military and government officials, and business and community leaders. The statutory purpose of the State council is to ensure educational equity for the dependent children of military parents and to serve as an advisory and advocacy body to state policy makers and experts
• Maine Military and Community Network. The Maine Military and Community Network (MMCN) is a collaboration among community services, military, government, non-profit and private sector entities, and individuals. The organization works together to provide services to all returning service members and their families and to create awareness about the issues these people face following deployment. This multi-organization partnership for Maine is directed by a statewide task force, and is expanding to include local task forces.
• Maine’s Interstate Compact Statutes. View the Maine statutes by section as enacted by the 124th Legislature in 2009.
• Tell Me a Story. The mission of the MCEC's Tell Me a Story program is to empower military children by using literature and their own stories in a way that fosters skills for resilience, strong peer and parent connections, a sence of pride and accomplishment. It provides opportunities to open up discussion on difficult topics such as deployment, separation and moving.
• Tutor.com. To support children of U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force active-duty servicemembers, National Guard and reserve personnel on active duty in a deployed status with their schoolwork, online tutoring from Tutor.com is now available to them for free. This is a beneficial resource that allows military children to get help with homework, studying and other coursework from a professional tutor anytime they need it, as the service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC). The work of the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) is focused on ensuring quality educational opportunities for all military children affected by mobility, family separation, and transition. The MCEC performs research, develops resources, conducts professional institutes and conferences, and develops and publishes resources for all constituencies.
• Military OneSource. Military OneSource is a confidential Department of Defense-funded program providing comprehensive information on every aspect of military life at no cost to active duty, Guard and Reserve Component members, and their families. Information includes, but is not limited to, deployment, reunion, relationship, grief, spouse employment and education, parenting and child care, and much more.
• Military K12 Partners. Children in military families face unique challenges that are unparalleled in the general student population. DoDEA’s Educational Partnership program works collaboratively with the Department of Education in efforts to ease the transition of military children and by providing resources to local education agencies that educate military children.
• Maine Military Family Indicator. This form is submitted to the Military Interstate Compact to inform MIC3 that a student is a dependent of a military family.   

Council Archives

Recorded minutes from previous MIC3 Council meetings:

• May 2019
• November 2017
• December 2016