TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Cryan to minimize the educational disruption of relocating students in military families was approved by the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee today.

The bill, S-3631, would provide more flexibility in school enrollment for military-connected students who relocate with their families when they are assigned to different military facilities.

“The students from military families shouldn’t have to endure a damaging impact on their educational experience when they relocate to different bases or assignments,” said Senator Cryan (D-Union). “The families of the men and women in the armed forces are serving our country along with the individual soldiers. They shouldn’t have their educations disrupted any more than necessary.”

Among the provisions, the bill would allow students of military families that relocate to complete the remainder of the school year in their original school district and permit 11th graders to complete high school in their original school.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, military families move every two to three years, on average, and change schools six to nine times from kindergarten through 12th grade. The disruptions can have an adverse impact on the quality and continuity of the educational experience, cause emotional and social challenges, impede participation in extracurricular activities, and complicate college attendance, according to educational experts.