The ultimate goal of the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) is to remove barriers to educational success for military children. This is an agreement between states to aid children with their educational transitions. Multiple agencies and organizations collaborated to establish this Compact, which was enacted in 2008. Today, all fifty states have adopted the Compact. Members are appointed to support children of active-duty military members, but also the National Guard and Reserve, and commissioned officers of NOAA and USPHS. It applies to public and DoDEA schools.
The intended benefit of the Compact is to establish a uniform policy and reduce delays to educational support. Specifically, this entails allowing families 30 days to acquire immunizations and physicals, accepting education records during enrollment, supporting excused absences, facilitating course placement with the option to test at a later date as applicable, and waiving certain courses for graduation if similar courses were completed in another district.
The adoption of MIC3 establishes consistency with a School Liaison in every state that has an active-duty military installation. According to the DoDEA Partnership and Resources site, the average military family relocates three times more than their non-military counterparts. State representatives are making concerted efforts to track, identify, and address ongoing education issues.
Factors Impacting MIC3 Effectiveness
So, where are we now since posting Why Isn’t the Education Compact Helping Us? There are some ongoing issues that present challenges, mainly stemming from a lack of awareness and education on MIC3. For example, the Florida Defense Alliance, which helped pass the Compact in 2004-2005, shared during one of the meeting minute sessions this year that hand-delivered immunization and physical forms were not always considered. They also noted that Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) and receipt of services continue to cause issues when navigating the language from state to state. The MIC3 National Office indicated during the annual meeting on April 22, 2025, its strategic plan to focus on increasing awareness and implementation of the Compact.
Here are other factors:
- Turnover of school personnel
- School capacity during mid-year moves
- Awareness and educating schools, including charter schools
- State legislation and interpretation of statutory language. (The Compact does not divest local schools of their authority but works alongside them.)
Factors Supporting MIC3 Effectiveness
State legislation can either hinder or help. For example, Florida’s SB 270, which passed effective July 1, 2025, revised eligibility requirements for its Bright Futures Scholarship and Academic Scholars Award. It extended eligibility to the student who earns a high school diploma from a non-Florida school while living with a parent or guardian who is on or within twelve months before the student’s graduation, has retired from military or public service, or is assigned away from Florida. This example reflects how states can show a visible commitment beyond the minimum requirement, allowing disadvantaged military children equitable educational opportunities.
Here are other factors:
- Compliance structure enabling communication to streamline consistent guidance and policies
- Legal enforcement of member states as a binding contract
- More flexibility with course placement and graduation criteria
- Authorized absences at the school's discretion
- Low program budget State costs
- Uniform data collection and sharing among States
Today’s Military Interstate Children’s Compact
The MIC3 has made some progress since its inception in 2008. The adoption of the standardized policy across all fifty states ensures that families can utilize a consistent framework for assistance. State appointees continue to hold meetings with various partners, especially School Liaisons, and the National Office to discuss what is going well and what is not.
Overall, factors that are improving MIC3 include streamlined processes and governance structure to better facilitate transitions between ‘sending’ and ‘receiving’ states. Areas of improvement continue to center on bringing more awareness and education to schools to facilitate more flexibility and acceptance as appropriate.
The National Center for Interstate Compacts and Council of State Governments provides full text. If you are unable to find your School Liaison or need assistance, contact the national office at mic3info@csg.org or 859-244-8000.
