Maryland schools allow advance enrollment for military families

A county superintendent must allow a qualifying child to apply for advance enrollment in a county public school. This covers a school-age dependent child of an active service member who is moving to Maryland on official orders but does not yet live in the county. The service member must provide official orders showing a Maryland assignment during the current or immediately following school year. The county's remote registration process may not charge a fee or require the family or child to appear in person. To finalize enrollment, the service member must provide required status, relocation-order, and county-residence documents within 10 days of the arrival date listed in the orders. Temporary on-base lodging, a purchased or leased home, or federal or military housing may be used as proof of county residence. The provisions take effect July 1, 2026, and apply to advance enrollment for the current or immediately following school year.

A county registration process must let a parent or guardian identify an individualized education program or 504 plan, and the county board must coordinate services without undue delay. This covers an advancing dependent child who had an individualized education program or 504 plan in the sending state. The county board must coordinate with the parent or guardian and the school system in the sending state. The child must receive appropriate education in the enrolling county, including an individualized education program or 504 plan when appropriate. These requirements apply when a child with a sending-state education plan uses the advance enrollment process after July 1, 2026.

The Secretary of Veterans and Military Families must publish and maintain information about military-child enrollment and available assistance. The information must cover advance enrollment, the Purple Star Schools program, the interstate military-children education compact, and services for active service members, including families of children with disabilities. The Secretary must consult with the military family education liaison, the Office of Military and Federal Affairs, and the Maryland Military Installation Council. This publication and maintenance duty begins when the act takes effect on July 1, 2026.