Military Families :: San Diego Unified School District

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Information for Military Families


•	Overview
•	Enrollment Options
•	School-Year Calendars
•	Child Care and Preschool Options
•	Free and Reduced-Price Meals
•	Additional Resources

Overview
The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) is the eighth largest U.S. urban district and California's second largest school district, educating 133,000 pre-school through 12th grade students in 250 educational facilities.

The district's student population is extremely diverse, representing more than 15 ethnic groups with more than 60 languages and dialects spoken at home.

	Students	%
	Hispanic	42
	White	26
	Asian	16
	African-American	14
	Eligible for free or reduced-price meals	56
	English Learners	28
	GATE (Gifted)	17
	Special Education	13
	Military	8

The district encompasses more than 200 square miles, serving a number of military bases, including:

Broadway Complex
Naval Station San Diego - Naval Surface Force, United States Pacific Fleet
Naval Base Coronado - Naval Air Station North Island and Naval Amphibious Base Coronado
Naval Base Point Loma
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar

Enrollment Options
Military families may apply to attend one of the district's 202 schools. There are 113 elementary schools, 23 middle or junior high schools, 27 high schools, 14 atypical or alternative schools, and 25 charter schools. To view a list of schools, or for information about a specific school, visit the district's Schools & Facilities directory and click on the name of the school.

The district offers a variety of enrollment options to students and families:

Neighborhood Schools
Find out which schools are in your area.

Magnet Programs
Magnet schools use particular subject themes, such as science, humanities, art, music, performing arts, and second language acquisition to significantly enhance student learning in an integrated setting. In addition to a strong core curriculum, each magnet program receives additional resources that allows them to provide specialized themes, learning materials and equipment, staff, and much more. Learn more & apply.

Voluntary Ethnic Enrollment Program (VEEP) Program
VEEP is an integration program that encourages students from communities with diverse ethnic compositions to attend schools outside their neighborhood schools. Schools with predominantly White student enrollments are "paired" with schools having predominately non-White student enrollments in order to achieve a student body diversity that more closely reflects the composition of the district and the San Diego community. Through these paired school patterns, students in VEEP can participate in an integrated education from elementary through senior high school. Learn more & apply.

School Choice Program
The School Choice program provides students with the opportunity to attend a school other than their neighborhood school. The program allows students to apply to any school within the San Diego Unified School District, with the exception of magnet schools. Choice enrollment is limited to schools that have space available for additional students. The School Choice program does not provide transportation to student participants. Choice options may be limited. Learn more & apply.

Program Improvement School Choice
Program Improvement schools are those that have not met one or more achievement targets under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Students attending these schools may be eligible to enroll in a non-Program Improvement school and receive transportation to the school at district expense. Learn more.

Charter Schools
Charter schools are public schools that may provide instruction in grades kindergarten through 12. Charter schools are usually created or organized by a group of parents, teachers and other educators, and community leaders or community-based organizations. An existing public school board usually authorizes charter schools. Learn more.

School-Year Calendars
For those families unfamiliar with California's year-round system, it provides the same 180 days of school, but in a 10-month calendar. For details, view the 2007-08 Traditional

or Year-round

calendars.

Child Care and Early Childhood Education Programs

6-to-6 Extended School Day Program
Provides elementary and middle school students (kindergarten through grade 9) with a safe place to participate in academic support and enrichment activities during the hours when many parents are at work. The 6-to-6 program currently serves over 24,000 children and is available at 149 schools—125 elementary and 24 middle schools. Learn more.

Childhood Development Centers (CDC)
The district currently has 25 Childhood Development Centers that provide a 12-month educational enrichment program for preschool and school-age children. Call the Child Development Center office at (858) 496-1831 to see if you quality for free or reduced-price enrollment. For more information, view the Early Childhood Education Programs Fact Sheet

.

Universal Preschool Initiative
The district provides a variety of early childhood education programs, including State Preschools, Child Development Center Programs, and School Readiness Preschools. Services may be available free of charge or on a sliding-scale basis. For more information, contact the Child Development Center office at (858) 496-1831 or visit the Universal Preschool Initiative website.

Free and Reduced-Price Meals
Children from families whose income satisfies specific criteria may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals. To apply, contact your child's school to request a confidential Certification Application.

All students are also encouraged to take advantage of the Kid's Choice Café

program, which provides healthy, nutritious meals developed by registered dietitians. Learn more.

	Student Meal Prices (Regular Cost)
	Breakfast	$0.75
	Lunch - Elementary Includes choice of one of four entrees along with a trip to a salad bar.	$1.50
	Lunch - Secondary Offers a large selection of entrees, fruits and vegetables every day.	$2.00
	Extra Milk	$0.50

Additional Resources

•	Military OneSource: Parents \| Leadership
•	Checklist for Families Leaving a School or School District
•	Checklist for Families Entering a New School District
•	Fleet & Family Support Center - San Diego, CA Information and resources for active duty, reserve and retired Department of Defense service and family members currently residing in or expecting to reside in the greater San Diego area.
•	Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) Information and resources for transitioning military families with school-age children.
•	Military Student Information and resources for both students and parents of military families.

Additional information and resources about the San Diego Unified School District are available on the For Parents page and throughout the district website.