https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated August 18, 2020
DOD Domestic School System: Background and Issues
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA)
manages a federal school system that provides pre-
kindergarten through grade 12 education, primarily for the
children of military servicemembers. According to the
Department of Defense (DOD), in 2020, DODEA operated
160 schools globally, including 50 domestic schools across
states and one virtual school. These schools employ nearly
12,000 staff, for a student population of about 70,000.
DODEA also has arrangements with local education
authorities (LEAs) that operate civilian-managed schools on
military installations. This report focuses only on
DODEA’s domestic school system.
Legislative Background
Commanders at military installations had established their
own K-12 schools since the early 1800s. In 1821, Congress
first enacted a law authorizing the operation of schools for
children of servicemembers living on military installations
in the United States. In 1950, Section 6 of P.L. 81-874
consolidated funding and the operation of what became
known as Section 6 schools under the Office of Education –
later the Department of Education (ED). Between 1950 and
1980 these schools were established in locales that lacked
adequate public education for children living on
installations, by reason of racially segregated schools,
remote or sparsely populated locations, or state restrictions
on funds to educate military children on federal property.
The 1981 Omnibus Reconciliation Act (P.L. 97-35) shifted
funding responsibility for all DOD schools from ED to
DOD. In 1994, P.L. 103-337 replaced the Section 6
legislation and renamed the school system the Department
of Defense Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary
Schools (DDESS).
Authorities
Section 2164 of Title 10, United States Code, provides the
statutory authority for the Secretary of Defense to enter into
arrangements to provide for the elementary and secondary
education for children of members of the armed forces and
DOD civilian employees assigned domestically (to include
any U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or possession). Per
this statute, factors to be considered by the Secretary when
determining whether to provide for domestic education
include the extent to which 1) children are eligible for free
public education in the local area adjacent to the military
installation, and 2) the ability of LEAs to provide an
appropriate public school educational program for such
children.
Impact Aid
Approximately 1.1 million school-aged children have at
least one parent in the military, and nearly 80% of these
children attend non-DDESS public schools off military
bases. Since 1950 (P.L. 81-874), LEAs have been
authorized to receive financial aid, called Impact Aid from
ED for “federally-connected students” enrolled in local
public schools to compensate for a “substantial and
continuing financial burden" resulting from federal
activities. Military-connected LEAs receive DOD Impact
Aid for all enrolled dependent children of active duty
servicemembers; however, the amount of aid varies
depending on whether the servicemember lives on or off
federal property. DOD administers an Impact Aid Program
in addition to the ED program. For more background on ED
and DOD Impact Aid, please see CRS Report R45400,
Impact Aid, Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act: A Primer.
Enrollment Eligibility
All dependent children of U.S. military and DOD civilian
employees living on an installation with a DDESS school
are eligible to attend that school tuition-free. Other
dependent children of DOD military, federal civilian
employees, and foreign militaries may be eligible for
tuition-free enrollment under certain circumstances.
Children of DOD contractors are not eligible to enroll.
DDESS schools may accept dependent children of other
non-DOD federal agency employees for tuition
reimbursement by the agency; however, DDESS may not
accept tuition from individuals. Tuition rates for domestic
schools for the 2020-2021 school year were between
$23,000 and $26,000, depending on the student’s grade.
DDESS Budget
The DDESS budget is supported by defense-wide
Operation and Maintenance (O&M), Military Construction
(MILCON), and Procurement appropriations. The O&M
budget for DDESS includes items such as salaries, travel,
contracts, supplies, and equipment. MILCON funds are
typically multi-year appropriations for projects like new
school construction or additions to existing schools.
Table 1. DDESS O&M Funding in Recent Years
Current dollars in thousands ($000)
