Fort Jackson schools will be welcoming students back to school for the 2023/2024 school year with a celebration, Aug. 7, 2023. (Leader file photo)

FJ schools ready to welcome students

By Emily Hileman, Fort Jackson Public Affairs

In just 18 days, the halls of Pierce Terrace and C.C. Pinckney elementary schools will once again be filled with the sounds of students greeting their friends and teachers and getting back into the swing of learning.

“We know that families are excited, especially the younger students that we serve,” said Robert Battey, principal of Pierce Terrace Elementary School. Pierce Terrace is one of two of the Department of Defense Education Activity schools located on Fort Jackson.

Fort Jackson students in kindergarten through sixth grade, head back to school is Aug. 7 where they will be greeted by a post officials and Bryan Perry, South Carolina/Fort Stewart community superintendent. it will be a full day of school filled with fun and learning.

Pierce Terrace is hosting a sneak-a-peak event from 3:30 – 5 p.m., Aug. 4 to give new students and families enrolled at the school a glimpse into what to expect.

Parents of new students enrolled at C.C. Pinckney are encouraged to contact the school for information about its programs.

“That’s an opportunity for the families to come in, meet the teachers, see the classroom and drop off supplies before the actual first day of school,” Battey said. “The hope is that it helps the parents and students ease any concerns or worries they might have before the first day of school.”

For students entering pre-kindergarten and pre-school child development, the school year will begin on Aug. 21. Kaelyn Newton and Patricia Jolly, the two pre-kindergarten teachers, will be reaching out to pre-kindergarten families and Ebony Jones, the pre-school child development teacher, will be reaching out to pre-school child development families to give them more information about the upcoming school year and their own Sneak-a-Peak event.

According to the DODEA website, “eligibility to attend DODEA schools within the contiguous United States is outlined in Section 2164 of title 10, United States Code and Department of Defense Instruction 1342.26.”

Title 10 of the U.S. Code governs the development and maintenance of domestic DOD elementary and secondary schools for military dependents.

Per the regulations, students can attend tuition free if they are dependents of active-duty military members and Department of Defense civilian employees who live in permanent housing on post. Deceased member of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty in a combat-related operation and dependent students of foreign armed forces living on an installation served by a DODEA Americas school may also attend them without paying tuition.

Other dependent children are also allowed to attend Pierce Terrace and C.C. Pinckney Elementary Schools and other DODEA Americas schools, but they are required to pay tuition.

Dependent students of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection residing in Puerto Rico are a few of the students eligible for tuition-based attendance at on post schools.

“If there’s any question about registration or any needs from the school, families can call the school and we’ll help answer their questions or guide them to the correct resource,” assured Battey.

If you’re overseas or unable to call during their office hours, he says the website is very comprehensive and there’s even a registration link to simplify the registration process.

Parents can find C.C. Pinckney school supply lists at https://www.dodea.edu/PinckneyES/supply-list.cfm and Pierce Terrace supply lists at https://www.dodea.edu/PierceTerraceES/supply-list.cfm.