§2164. Department of Defense domestic dependent elementary and secondary schools

(a) Authority of Secretary.-If the Secretary of Defense makes a determination that appropriate educational programs are not available through a local educational agency for dependents of members of the armed forces and dependents of civilian employees of the Federal Government residing on a military installation in the United States (including territories, commonwealths, and possessions of the United States), the Secretary may enter into arrangements to provide for the elementary or secondary education of the dependents of such members of the armed forces and, to the extent authorized in subsection (c), the dependents of such civilian employees. The Secretary may, at the discretion of the Secretary, permit dependents of members of the armed forces and, to the extent provided in subsection (c), dependents of civilian employees of the Federal Government residing in a territory, commonwealth, or possession of the United States but not on a military installation, to enroll in an educational program provided by the Secretary pursuant to this subsection.

(b) Factors for Secretary To Consider.-(1) Factors to be considered by the Secretary of Defense in making a determination under subsection (a) shall include the following:

(A) The extent to which such dependents are eligible for free public education in the local area adjacent to the military installation.

(B) The extent to which the local educational agency is able to provide an appropriate educational program for such dependents.

(2) For purposes of paragraph (1)(B), an appropriate educational program is a program that, as determined by the Secretary, is comparable to a program of free public education provided for children by the following local educational agencies:

(A) In the case of a military installation located in a State (other than an installation referred to in subparagraph (B)), local educational agencies in the State that are similar to the local educational agency referred to in paragraph (1)(B).

(B) In the case of a military installation with boundaries contiguous to two or more States, local educational agencies in the contiguous States that are similar to the local educational agency referred to in paragraph (1)(B).

(C) In the case of a military installation located in a territory, commonwealth, or possession, the District of Columbia public schools, except that an educational program determined comparable under this subparagraph may be considered appropriate for the purposes of paragraph (1)(B) only if the program is conducted in the English language.

(c) Eligibility of Dependents of Federal Employees.-(1) A dependent of a Federal employee residing in permanent living quarters on a military installation at any time during the school year may enroll in an educational program provided by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to subsection (a) for dependents residing on such installation.

(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), a dependent of a Federal employee who is enrolled in an educational program provided by the Secretary pursuant to subsection (a) and who is not residing on a military installation may be enrolled in the program for not more than five consecutive school years.

(B) A dependent referred to in subparagraph (A) may be enrolled in the program for more than five consecutive school years if the Secretary determines that, in the interest of the dependent's educational well-being, there is good cause to extend the enrollment for more than the five-year period described in such subparagraph. Any such extension may be made for only one school year at a time.

(C) Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to an individual who is a dependent of a Federal employee in the excepted service (as defined in section 2103 of title 5) and who is enrolled in an educational program provided by the Secretary pursuant to subsection (a) in Puerto Rico, Wake Island, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands.

(3) A dependent of a Federal employee may continue enrollment in a program under this subsection for the remainder of a school year notwithstanding a change during such school year in the status of the Federal employee that, except for this paragraph, would otherwise terminate the eligibility of the dependent to be enrolled in the program. The preceding sentence does not limit the authority of the Secretary to remove the dependent from enrollment in the program at any time for good cause determined by the Secretary.

(d) School Boards.-(1) The Secretary of Defense shall provide for the establishment of a school board for Department of Defense elementary and secondary schools established at each military installation under this section.

(2) The school board shall be composed of the number of members, not fewer than three, prescribed by the Secretary.

(3) The parents of the students attending the school shall elect the school board in accordance with procedures which the Secretary shall prescribe.

(4)(A) A school board elected for a school under this subsection may participate in the development and oversight of fiscal, personnel, and educational policies, procedures, and programs for the school, except that the Secretary may issue any directive that the Secretary considers necessary for the effective operation of the school or the entire school system.

(B) A directive referred to in subparagraph (A) shall, to the maximum extent practicable, be issued only after the Secretary consults with the appropriate school boards elected under this subsection. The Secretary shall establish a process by which a school board or school administrative officials may formally appeal the directive to the Secretary of Defense.

(5) Meetings conducted by the school board shall be open to the public, except as provided in paragraph (6).

(6) A school board need not comply with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), but may close meetings in accordance with such Act.

(e) Administration and Staff.-(1) The Secretary of Defense may enter into such arrangements as may be necessary to provide educational programs at the school.

(2) The Secretary may, without regard to the provisions of any other law relating to the number, classification, or compensation of employees-

(A) establish positions for civilian employees in schools established under this section;

(B) appoint individuals to such positions; and

(C) fix the compensation of such individuals for service in such positions.

(3)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), in fixing the compensation of employees appointed for a school pursuant to paragraph (2), the Secretary shall consider-

(i) the compensation of comparable employees of the local educational agency in the capital of the State where the military installation is located;

(ii) the compensation of comparable employees in the local educational agency that provides public education to students who reside adjacent to the military installation; and

(iii) the average compensation for similar positions in not more than three other local educational agencies in the State in which the military installation is located.

(B) In fixing the compensation of employees in schools established in the territories, commonwealths, and possessions pursuant to the authority of this section, the Secretary shall determine the level of compensation required to attract qualified employees. For employees in such schools, the Secretary, without regard to the provisions of title 5, may provide for the tenure, leave, hours of work, and other incidents of employment to be similar to that provided for comparable positions in the public schools of the District of Columbia. For purposes of the first sentence, a school established before the effective date of this section pursuant to authority similar to the authority in this section shall be considered to have been established pursuant to the authority of this section.

(f) Substantive and Procedural Rights and Protections for Children.-(1) The Secretary shall provide the following substantive rights, protections, and procedural safeguards (including due process procedures) in the educational programs provided for under this section:

(A) In the case of children with disabilities aged 3 to 5, inclusive, all substantive rights, protections, and procedural safeguards (including due process procedures) available to children with disabilities aged 3 to 5, inclusive, under part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1411 et seq.).

(B) In the case of infants and toddlers with disabilities, all substantive rights, protections, and procedural safeguards (including due process procedures) available to infants and toddlers with disabilities under part H of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1471 et seq.).

(C) In the case of all other children with disabilities, all substantive rights, protections, and procedural safeguards (including due process procedures) available to children with disabilities who are 3 to 5 years old under part B of such Act.

(2) Paragraph (1) may not be construed as diminishing for children with disabilities enrolled in day educational programs provided for under this section the extent of substantive rights, protections, and procedural safeguards that were available under section 6(a) of Public Law 81–874 (20 U.S.C. 241(a)) to children with disabilities as of October 7, 1991.

(3) In this subsection:

(A) The term "children with disabilities" has the meaning given the term in section 602(a)(1) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401(a)(1)).

(B) The term "children with disabilities aged 3 to 5, inclusive" means such term as used in such Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.).

(C) The term "infants and toddlers with disabilities" has the meaning given the term in section 672(1) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1472(1)).

(g) Reimbursement.-When the Secretary of Defense provides educational services under this section to an individual who is a dependent of an employee of a Federal agency outside the Department of Defense, the head of the other Federal agency shall, upon request of the Secretary of Defense, reimburse the Secretary for those services at rates routinely prescribed by the Secretary for those services. Any payments received by the Secretary under this subsection shall be credited to the account designated by the Secretary for the operation of educational programs under this section.

(Added Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title III, §351(a), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2727 .)

References in Text

The Federal Advisory Committee Act, referred to in subsec. (d)(6), is Pub. L. 92–463, Oct. 6, 1972, 86 Stat. 770 , as amended, which is set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

The effective date of this section, referred to in subsec. (e)(3)(B), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 103–337 which was approved Oct. 5, 1994.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, referred to in subsec. (f)(1), (3)(B), is title VI of Pub. L. 91–230, Apr. 13, 1970, 84 Stat. 175 , as amended, which is classified generally to chapter 33 (§1400 et seq.) of Title 20, Education. Parts B and H of the Act are classified generally to subchapters II (§1411 et seq.) and VIII (§1471 et seq.), respectively, of chapter 33 of Title 20. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1400 of Title 20 and Tables.

Section 6(a) of Public Law 81–874 (20 U.S.C. 241(a)), referred to in subsec. (f)(2), was repealed by Pub. L. 103–382, title III, §331(b), Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3965 .

Savings Provision

Section 351(c) of Pub. L. 103–337 provided that: "Nothing in section 2164 of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall be construed as affecting the rights in existence on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 5, 1994] of an employee of any school established under such section (or any other provision of law enacted before the date of the enactment of this Act that established a similar school) to negotiate or bargain collectively with the Secretary with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment."

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 2605 of this title.