Military Families - Arlington Traditional

Arlington Traditional School has been designated as a “Purple Star” School. Purple Star schools are designated and approved by the Virginia Department of Education, and show that the school has demonstrated prioritization of readiness to support the social-emotional challenges military-connected students face.

The Arlington Public School Board passed a resolution publicizing our district’s support for military students and families. For more information about military families at APS, please visit this website: https://www.apsva.us/military-families/

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our POC: Marie Hone marie.hone@apsva.us. We are honored to serve the children of your family. This webpage provides links to resources that may prove useful in making the transition into our community easy. As one of the approximately two million military-connected children in America, your student will join the 80,000 school-age children of active-duty military families here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Whether this PCS makes Arlington your new home post or if you’re deployed and sending your kids to our school, we are proud to help make your time with us as rewarding and enriching as possible!

Planning your Arrival to APS

If the assignment from which you are departing was outside of the Commonwealth of Virginia, we encourage you to visit the Virginia Department of Education Military Families page, which provides information on rights and resources as you move your family here to the Old Dominion. To determine which APS school at your student will be placed, based on home address, you can use the APS Boundary (Attendance Area) Locator. The Arlington Public Schools registration process is detailed on the APS “Registering Your Child” webpage. We take seriously our responsibilities under Article IV of the Interstate Compact – discussed in the section so named below – to ensure that your student is placed in the appropriate grade. The Arlington Public Schools requirements around proof of residency is detailed on the APS Home Address Confirmation Process Page. The Arlington Public Schools transfer process, along with school transfer resources, are available on the APS “Transfer Options” webpage. You may also wish to contact the School Liaison Officer at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, our local military installation, for personal and site-specific assistance. For those families departing ATS, please reach out to your child’s counselor, Ms. Ker (tiffani.ker@apsva.us) or Ms. Mitchell (megan.mitchell2@apsva.us) for assistance with your family’s transition.

Interstate Compact

Virginia participates in the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children. The Department of Defense provides toolkits for military families that explain the rights and resources involved in the Compact on the DoD Interstate Compact webpage. The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) provides information to military families that may prove useful in navigating transitions from one assignment to another, as well as resources around educational rights and resources. Visit the MIC3 website (www.mic3.net) or download a copy of the MIC3 “A Military Family’s Guide to School Transitions.”

Special Needs & Parental Rights

Under Article V of the Interstate Compact, we will gladly provide comparable services for any current Individualized Educational Program (IEP) or Section 504 plan, should your student have one. We may conduct additional evaluations to make sure that we are able to do that, given the resources and programs that exist in APS. The Virginia Department of Education publishes “Guidance for Military Families With Students In Special Education,” which is available for free download from the VDOE website. If you have specific questions, please contact the Local Educational Agency (LEA) representative for Special Education at ATS, our Assistant Principal, Inga Schoenbrun (inga.schoenbrun@apsva.us).

Community Information

You are welcome and encouraged to join the ATS Parent-Teacher Association. To learn more about the ATS PTA, visit ats.apsva.us/pta/ You are also welcome and encouraged to visit the “Welcome Kit for New Arlington Residents,” provided by the Arlington, Virginia government. You may also find the Blue Star Families website useful for connecting with resources and other families in our area.

Post-Service Information

We know that so many military families after they have completed their service continue to want to serve and play a role in their communities. ATS has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, and we welcome your contact. We will gladly help you identify roles in our school community that can help meet your personal needs. Also, don’t forget to check the Careers@APS page for opportunities that may be of interest, if you are transitioning out of active service.

Military Bases in Virginia & Washington, D.C.

Additional Links

These webpages may contain links to websites that are outside of the Arlington Public Schools network. APS does not control the content or relevancy of these outside sites.