School Liaison Officer FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What schools do children/youth living on the installation and living off base attend?
A: Children living on base attend schools within the Knob Noster School District

  • Whiteman Elementary School (K-5th grades) - for Whiteman students/on-base residents

*Please note that this is not a DoDDS school; the school is physically located on base but is part of the Knob Noster School District

  • Knob Noster Middle School (6th-8th grades) - students of both on & off base residents
  • Knob Noster High School (9th-12th grades) - students of both on & off base residents

Q: What schools do children/youth living off base attend?
A: Children living off base in Knob Noster attend the Knob Noster School District

  • Knob Noster Elementary School (K-5th grades) - for Knob Noster students/off-base residents
  • Knob Noster Middle School (6th-8th grades) - students of both on & off base residents
  • Knob Noster High School (9th-12th grades) - students of both on & off base residents

Q: When does school start?
A: The approximate day school starts in the state of Missouri falls during the second week in August. This may vary slightly depending on the school district your child will be attending. For the 2015-16 school years, most districts are beginning school on or about the 13th of August.

Q: How old must a child be to start school?
A: Short Answer - In the state of Missouri, a child is eligible for admission to kindergarten if the child reaches the age of five (5) before the first day of August of the school year beginning in that calendar year. Additional information & waivers:

  • A child is eligible for admission to kindergarten/first grade if the child is a military dependent and has successfully completed an accredited pre-kindergarten program or has attended an accredited kindergarten program in another state.
  • A child who reaches the age of five (5) prior to the cut-off date is eligible for admission to the summer school session immediately preceding kindergarten.
  • A child is eligible for admission to first grade if the child reaches the age of six (6) before the first day of August of the school year beginning in that calendar year.
  • Any child who completes the kindergarten year shall not be required to meet the age requirements of a district for entrance into grade one." This law does not specify the type of kindergarten program that must be completed prior to promotion to the first grade. Most school districts accept successful completion of kindergarten at any accredited public, private or parochial school as sufficient basis for promotion to the first grade. A child transferring from an unaccredited school, such as a home school, may be subject to additional evaluation to determine promotion.

Q: Does the military have any free tutoring services?                                                                                                                 A: Yes. There is a free tutoring service linked to tutor.com, which offers free homework help and online tutoring for serve members and grades K-12 students in U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps and Cost Guard families.

Q: What are the Missouri State Vaccine Requirements? 
A: The requirements are different depending on the age of your child. The National Vaccine Information Center will give you current general information, vaccination requirements, and exemption information for religious & medical reasons.

Q: What are the school's accountability data (ranking, test scores, financial, demographics, etc.)
A: The following web sites contain information about Missouri school districts:

Q: Which schools do most of the installation children attend? 
A: Current statistics of our largest school districts:

  • Knob Noster School District: 700+ military connected children in attendance; approximately 63%
  • Warrensburg School District: 800+ military connected children in attendance; approximately 24.7%
  • Sedalia School District: < 75 military connected children in attendance; approximately 1.2%
  • Henry County School District: < 40 military connected children in attendance; approximately 1.8%

Q: How far is the walk or bus ride to and from school 
A: The rule of thumb for the school districts surrounding our area is that a student will walk to school if they live within one mile of the school they are attending. There are many exemptions for this rule based on age & special needs of the student so it is best to call the school district directly for more information.

All students living on base attending Knob Noster Middle School and Knob Noster High School ride the bus into Knob Noster. The schools are approximately 2-2.5 miles outside of our base gates. The Elementary & Middle schools are side by side. Transportation is provided by the school district and the time spent riding the buses varies based on where you live and pick-up times on your street. The pick-up times also vary depending on if your child is on A=first run, B=second run or C=third run through the community. Current bus routes are posted on the individual district's webpage.

Q: What are the boundaries for the various off-base schools?
A: Missouri is not an open enrollment state. A student will attend the public school in the city or town that they reside. There is no exception for military connected families.

Q: What is the school registration procedure? 
A: In Missouri, children must be a legal resident of the school district they attend. It is not an "open enrollment" state. Students living in one district who wish to attend school in a different district must apply for and be officially accepted as a paying tuition student before starting their first day.

All children who are five years of age before August 1 will be eligible to enroll in kindergarten that same year. Parents enrolling children for the first time must present:

  • A copy of the child's birth certificate
  • Social security number
  • Evidence of enrollment or records of previous school attendance
  • Immunization records- should have Diphtheria, Polio, Measles, Rubella and Hepatitis B up to date
  • Additionally, students starting kindergarten are required to have proof of vision screening

Q: What kind of before & after-school and holiday care programs are available?
A: The Whiteman Youth Center offers a DoD certified Before and After School Program which is nationally accredited through the Council on Accreditation. Care is provided from 6:00 AM -until the start of the school day and from the end of the school day to 6:00 PM. Care is also available during non-school days for enrolled families. District bus service is offered to and from the program to Knob Noster Elementary and Knob Noster Middle School. Children attending Whiteman Elementary School will simply walk across the street with one of the providers. For more information on the Before and After School Program please contact the youth center at 687-5586.

Q: What are the state procedures for home schooling? 
A: Home schooling is one of the options available for meeting the state's compulsory attendance law, Section 167.031, RSMo. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) does NOT regulate or monitor home schooling in Missouri. Neither the State Board of Education nor the Department has the authority to issue regulations or guidelines concerning home schooling.

The current statutory provisions for home schooling can be summarized as follows:

According to section 167.031, RSMo - a parent or guardian of a child, between seven and seventeen years of age, shall cause the child to attend regularly some public, private, parochial, parish, home school or a combination of such schools.

Any parent may educate a child at home. The parent does not have to have a teaching certificate or meet any education requirements. If a parent decides to home school, he or she shall offer 1,000 hours of instruction during the school year, with at least 600 hours in the basics, which will be in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. At least 400 of the 600 hours shall occur in the home location. A completed credit towards high school graduation is defined as 100 hours or more of instruction in a course. Home school education enforcement and records pursuant to this section, and sections 210.167 and 211.031, RSMo, shall be subject to review only by the local prosecuting attorney.

A parent who is home schooling a child must maintain the following records:

  • a. A plan book, diary, daily log, or other written record indicating the subjects taught and the activities engaged in with the student;
  • b. A portfolio containing samples of the student's academic work;
  • c. A record of evaluation of the student's academic progress; or
  • d. Other written or credible evidence equivalent to a, b, and c.

The school year is defined as beginning July 1 and ending the next June 30. Children with disabilities attending a home school program may receive special education services provided by the local school district, in accordance with Section 162.996 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri and State Plan for Special Education.

Each parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the child who causes his child to attend regularly a home school may provide a declaration of enrollment stating their intent for the child to attend a home school to the recorder of deeds of the county where the child legally resides, or to the chief school officer of the public school district where the child legally resides, within thirty days after the establishment of the home school and by September first annually thereafter.

For more information from Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on Home Schooling:

Sections 162.996, 167.031 through 167.071, and Section 210.167 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri provide the framework for home schooling in Missouri.

750 Arnold Ave.
Whiteman AFB, MO 65305
Commercial 660-687-7132
DSN 975-7132