North Carolina, home to one of the largest military installations in the world by population, has enacted new legislation designed to make things simpler for military families who have dependent children attending school.  

Signed into law on July 9, 2025 by state governor Josh Stein, the new legislation allows children in military families to enroll in and begin attending school in the area where the family intends to live for a period up to one year (or through the end of the school year) from the Permanant Change of Station (PCS) report date, separation date from active duty, or anticipated separation date from active duty. 

How This Change Impacts Military Families  

Upon receiving notice of an upcoming PCS, military families are tasked with researching housing, neighborhoods, and school options for their dependent children. Parents typically prioritize these issues in preparation for getting settled and established in their new duty location.  

But even if they’ve done all the research, sometimes housing is not move-in ready upon arrival at the new duty station, which often means they have to stay in temporary housing. To avoid having to transfer schools midyear, many military parents prefer to register their child at the public school where they will be living once housing is ready. However, most school districts require proof of residency for registration and enrollment, which is a problem if you’re living in a hotel or temporary lodging. In addition, public school districts each have their own rules and regulations, which can be a tangled web of complexity for military families to weed through with each PCS. That’s what the new law in the Tarheel State is seeking to address.  

Effects of the New Legislation  

Introduced by the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs in partnership with the Defense-State Liaison Office in North Carolina, the new legislation updates state regulations and expands enrollment flexibility for military families. By allowing parents to enroll their students in a more appropriate school district, the law offers more flexibility to military families — and greater continuity in military children’s education. 

School Liaison Offices on military installations act as a conduit between military families and schools, including public and private schools, and homeschooling. All military-connected families are eligible for support through the School Liaison Office. 

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