You moved across the world, attended the NOWA Brief, you’ve gotten your house and the next thing on your to-do list is learning how to register kids for school in Okinawa. The process for getting your kids registered for a DODEA school here in Okinawa is pretty streamlined. Everything is taken care of online making it easier to keep everything organized.

Setting Up Your Family Portal Account to Register Kids for School in Okinawa

Your first step to register kids for school in Okinawa is to determine whether you have a DODEA Family Portal Account. If your kids have attended a DODEA school you should already have one. If you already have an account follow these steps.

• Click on the Login to Family Portal button
• Log in with your username & password.
• Once logged in, read the Announcement to get started.
• Click the initiate button in the “New Student Registration” box to complete the DoDEA registration process.

If your kids have not attended DODEA schools then you will follow the steps below register kids for school in Okinawa according to the DODEA Pacific website.

• Click on the Login to Family Portal button.
• Click “Request an account” ONLY if you are registering a student(s) in DoDEA. If you have students currently in DoDEA, you already have a DoDEA Family Portal account.
• Select “I am a parent/guardian registering my child online”.
• Follow the prompts to complete account setup.
• Log in and read the Announcement to get started.

Initiating Your New Student Registration

Once you have access to your account, you will initiate a new student registration. To register kids for school in Okinawa you are going to need a few documents. Thankfully, the portal makes it incredibly easy to upload them. You can scan them into your computer or iPhones have the capability of taking a photo and turning it into a PDF. Photos are also accepted if that is your only option.

The following list of documents needed to register kids for school in Okinawa comes from the DODEA document for Eligibility and Enrollment Requirements.

• Sponsor eligibility (must have at least one of the following):
  • PCS orders.
  • Employment verification and the SF 50, “Notification of Personnel Action.”
  • Letter or contract section from applicable defense contractor indicating DoDEA school eligibility, assigned location, tour length, and names of dependents.

• Dependent’s relationship to sponsor (if not covered in PCS orders or employment verification) indicating one (1) of the following:
  • Certified birth certificate listing the sponsor or spouse as the biological parent.
  • Court-ordered documentation (guardianship, adoption).
  • Official Memorandum or Correspondence that lists dependent by name (e.g., Command Letter, Military Personnel Memo, Dependent Entry Approval, Port Call.)
  • Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).
  • Marriage certificate.

• Other Required Documentation:
  • Proof of on-base housing (DoDEA Americas CONUS only).
  • Proof of required immunizations.
  • Student education records for space-available enrollment requests, in accordance with Section 7.2.a. of this Issuance.
  • Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Screening in accordance with Section 6.2.a. of this Issuance.

The Kadena School Liaison website included a list of helpful documents to have when transitioning from one school to the next. This is a helpful list to keep on hand for every move when you have school aged kids. It may even be beneficial to have a designated folder or binder to keep everything for schools organized in one spot.

Checklist for a Smooth Transition

Needed for Registration at Your New Gaining School (with Registrar)

• Student’s Birth Certificate (Original Certified Copy)
• Student’s Social Security Card/Number
• Student’s Current Health Record (Immunization, physical, etc.)
• Legal Documents (e.g., custody/guardianship, power of attorney)
• Military Orders with student’s name listed as a dependent
• Parent & Student’s Military ID Card or other picture ID
• Two Local Emergency Contact’s Information
• Proof of Residency – Stating Physical Address
  • Light or Water Bill
  • Landline Phone Bill (certain districts will accept)
  • Property tax statement
  • Lease agreement or Buyers Contract
  • Intent to Reside Letter (on base housing within 30 days)
  • TLF (On base)/Fam Camp Receipt (On base schools only)
  • TLF (Off base) Receipt (must register in attendance zone for hotel/living arrangements)

• Withdraw paperwork from previous school
• Proof of Wounded Warrior Status (if using for Pre-K Determination – VA Status Letter)
• Prior Losing School Information
  • Address, Phone Numbers
  • Name and Contact Information for Counselor and Registrar
  • School Web Page (URL)

Needed for Course Selection or Placement at Your New School (with Counselor or Administrator)

• School Records (see ‘Prior to Leaving’ section on page 1)
  • Unofficial Copy of Cumulative Folder/Transcripts (only the copy mailed between schools is considered official)
  • Current Schedule
  • Report Cards, Withdrawal Grades or Progress Reports
  • Test Scores (Standardized or Special Program Testing, etc.)
  • JROTC Records
• Special Programs Records (if appropriate)
  • Individual Education Plan (IEP)
  • Individual Accommodation Plan (504 plan)
  • Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP)
  • Gifted & Talented Program Description and Information
  • English as a Second Language (ESL) or Bilingual Education
  • Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)
  • At-Risk or Other Action Plans for Classroom Modifications
• Other Documents and Examples
  • Writing Samples and Other Work Examples with Teacher Comments and Grades
  • Activities Records (co-extracurricular)
  • Community Service or Service Learning
  • Other Work or Performance Examples
  • Academic Recognitions and Competition Participation

DODEA has made the process to register kids for school in Okinawa easy and user friendly. Make sure you are utilizing the website from a laptop or computer and not from a tablet or smartphone to ensure the portal works properly. If you have any questions, concerns or issues, use the links below to contact the appropriate school liaison who will be able to help you. They are a wealth of information and are here to help make the process even easier for you.

Useful Links

• DODEA Pacific South District website: https://www.dodea.edu/pacific/pac-south
• DODEA Pacific Region Registration information: https://www.dodea.edu/registration/pacific-region
• Parent Tip Sheet for use and login for the Family Portal: https://dodea.widen.net/view/pdf/igxq74m6t4/dsis-family-portal-parents-tip-sheet.pdf?t.download=true
• Current student re-registration: https://dodea.widen.net/view/pdf/29ovdcvxgw/dsis-family-portal-parents-tip-sheet-re-registration.pdf?t.download=true
• MCCS School Liaison: https://www.okinawa.usmc-mccs.org/marine-family-support/child-and-youth/k-12-school-liaison-program
• Kadena School Liaison: https://www.kadena.af.mil/About-Us/DoDDS-School-Liaison
• Registration Link for Family Portal: https://dodeasis.myfollett.com/aspen/logon.do
• School Zone Map: https://www.okinawa.usmc-mccs.org/modules/media/download?id=c7b792c9-3965-4f37-bc67-b6a047e935ad&v=1
• DoDEA AI 1344.01, Eligibility and Enrollment Requirements for DoDEA Schools.
• DODEA Pacific South 2024-2025 Calendar: https://dodea.widen.net/s/qcqj7gxdgc/pacific-south-calendar-sy-24-25

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