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School Support Services and School Liaison are part of Child, Youth and School Services and work in conjunction with the local school communities to address educational issues involving children of military families.

Sarah Bonise, Fort Meade's school liaison who acts as a link between the installation and the surrounding school districts, answers the following 11 questions that parents frequently ask.

How do I contact the Fort Meade school liaison?
Sarah Bonise's office is located at the Child, Youth and School Services School Age Care Center, 1900 Reece Road.

The office is open Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Her telephone number is 301-677-1227. Her email address is sarah.e.bonise.naf@mail.mil.

Are the Fort Meade schools Department of Defense schools?
No, the schools located on Fort Meade are operated and governed by Anne Arundel County Public Schools, 2644 Riva Road, Annapolis, MD 21401.

The AACPS telephone number is 410-222-5000. The website is aacps.org.

The superintendent of Anne Arundel County Public Schools is Dr. Kevin Maxwell.

What is the Meade Feeder System?
The Meade Feeder System is the term used to designate the elementary and middle schools that "feed" into Meade High School.

This system includes the following elementary schools: Manor View, Pershing Hill, Meade Heights, Seven Oaks, Jessup, Van Bokkelen, Brock Bridge, Maryland City, Hebron-Harmon and West Meade Early Education Center.

The middle schools are MacArthur Middle and Meade Middle.

Where does my child attend school?
Your child will attend a neighborhood school designated by your address.

* If you live in Anne Arundel County, your child will attend Anne Arundel County Public Schools (aacps.org).

* If you live in Howard County, your child will attend Howard County Public Schools (hcpss.org).

* If you live in Prince George's County, your child will attend Prince George's County Public Schools (pgcps.org).

How do you enroll in a charter school?
AACPS has two charter schools in the Meade area.

* Monarch Academy Public Charter School in Glen Burnie serves kindergarten and grades one through 6.

The telephone number is 410-760-2072. The website is monarchcharter.org.

* Chesapeake Science Point Charter School in Hanover serves grades six to nine.

The telephone number is 443-757-5277. The website is mycsp.org.

Parents must contact each individual school for enrollment openings.

How old does my child need to be to start kindergarten?
If your child reaches age 5 on or before Sept. 1 of the desired school year, your child is eligible to enroll.

Can I enroll my child in kindergarten if the child turns 5 after the Sept. 1 deadline?
A 4-year-old child, who will be 5 years old by Oct. 15, upon request by the parent or guardian, may be admitted to kindergarten if the child meets the mandated criteria on the required assessments:

* 125 or better on a standardized cognitive ability assessment

* 8th stanine or better on a standardized achievement assessment

For more information, see early kindergarten enrollment at aacps.org.

Where can I learn more about home schooling?
Contact the Fort Meade Home Schooling Group at ftmeadehomeschooling@verizon.net.

During the school year, the group meets every Friday at the Child, Youth and School Services School Age Care Center, 1900 Reece Road.

What do I need in order to enroll my child at school?
Once you have determined your neighborhood school, call for an appointment to register.

You will need to bring your child's birth certificate, shot record, current physical, two proofs of residency (your lease or mortgage and a piece of mail such as a utility bill or cable bill that has your name and new address), report card from previous school and IEP (Individualized Education Program) if the child has any special needs.

What is the best school?
This is a common question from parents to ask the school liaison.

Since educational success differs for each student and family, we cannot recommend the "best" school for you. We can provide guidance on how to select a school. These decisions are based on the needs of the child, academic and extra-curricular interests, and housing/commuting decisions.

All area schools have successful students. We can help families choose a school that can best fit their children.

What if my child needs a tutor or extra help?
The School Age Care Center, Youth Services and the Teen Center all have homework computer labs with onsite staff ready to help children.

To register, call Parent Central Services at 301-677-1149.

Bus transportation to and from the School Age Care Center and Youth Services is provided from the following area schools: Manor View, Pershing Hill, Seven Oaks, Meade Heights, West Meade EEC, MacArthur Middle and Meade Middle.

The Teen Center is a short walking distance to Meade High School.

* Tutor.com: Military families can get free help from a professional tutor anytime they need it at tutor.com.

Tutors are online 24/7. This service is also available for adults returning to school. The whole family can log on!