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Military Families

Welcome Military Families

Northside Independent School District (NISD) welcomes our military families! We support our military students and families to help ease the challenges they face due to deployment and relocation. This page was created to provide you with valuable information.


NISD welcomes military students and families who have been transferred to a local military installation.  A military-connected student is a dependent whose parent or guardian is a current or former member of the U.S. military, Texas National Guard, or reserve forces, or a dependent of a member who was killed in the line of duty.

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District Information


The following information is provided to assist military families relocating to our District.

In the 2024-2025  school year, Northside ISD proudly welcomed over 6,000 military-connected students!


Enrollment and Registration


The following information is provided to assist military families with enrollment and registration.

Eligibility for extracurricular activities

  • Eligibility: Your child can participate in activities even if application deadlines have passed.
  • Information access: Schools must provide all relevant information about extracurricular activities.
  • Communication: Schools should ensure military families have access to all communication channels for activity information. 

Contact your school’s administrators or coaches to request information and support for your child’s participation in extracurricular activities. Chapter 600 MIC3-Rules-Book-WEB.pdf 

Proof of Residency

TEC §25.001(c-1)

To ensure prompt enrollment for military-connected students, active-duty members of the U.S. armed forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, can establish residency for school enrollment by submitting a military order indicating their transfer to a military base within or near the school district’s adjacent to the district’s attendance zone.

 

Proof of Residency

TEC §25.001(c-2)

To ensure prompt enrollment for military-connected students active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard

and Reserves, can establish residency for school enrollment by submitting a military order indicating their transfer to a military base within or near the school district’s attendance area within 90-days of their arrival.


Academic Planning


Counseling and Support Services


The following information provides information on  counseling support services available to military families located in NISD and the community.

  • NISD Counseling Services (available to all students, including military-connected)
     
  • Counseling Support Groups
    • Because children experience a variety of concerns at different ages, Northside Independent School District offers school counseling services to all children in grades Kindergarten through 12. The purpose of school counseling is to help children make maximum use of their educational experience. Schools offer different kinds of groups to help children with the following topics: self-esteem, decision-making skills, coping and life skills, peer pressure resistance strategies, and social relationships. In particular, to help support our military children, many schools offer a small group called “We Serve Too.”
  • Clubs
    • Military pride clubs are established in several Northside schools with many military children. The focus is on providing military children and their families an opportunity to socialize with other students/families with similar concerns.
  • Counselor Training
    • The Northside ISD Guidance Department offers additional training opportunities for counselors about the specific needs that military children face. This counselor training also teaches specific strategies/techniques that can be used when working with military children.
  • Military Children and Family Task Force
    • The Northside ISD Guidance and Counseling Department formed a task force of school counselors who meet several times a year specifically to discuss current military concerns and any resources available to our military families.
  • Curriculum
    • The NISD Guidance and Counseling Department developed a book bag filled with children’s books and curriculum specifically designed to target handling change (i.e., deployment, moves, loss, and coping). Counselors use this book bag as a resource to develop guidance lessons, small group sessions, and individual sessions.
  • Parenting Sessions
    • Northside provides many parent education opportunities throughout the district.
  • Events
    • Many Northside schools sponsor military events such as Celebrate Freedom Week, Veterans Day Assemblies, Hall of Honor, Trevor Romain and the Comfort Crew, Salute Night, and Purple Up! Day.
  • Service Projects
    • Northside service projects supporting military causes include Cup of Joe for a Joe, Linus Project, Fisher House, and Wounded Warriors.
  • The Military and Family Life Counseling Program provides free, confidential, non-medical counseling to service members, their families, and survivors on or near installations. Trained to work with the military community, military and family life counselors deliver valuable counseling services, briefings, and presentations to the military community. Counselors help service members and their families navigate issues such as improving relationships at home and work, stress management, adjustment difficulties, parenting, and grief or loss. Adult, child, and youth behavioral MFLCs are assigned to units, schools, child development centers, and other locations worldwide.
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Joint Base San Antonio School Liaison

Ms. Sherrie Walker

MS. SHERRIE M. WALKER

Ms. Sherrie Walker is the School Liaison Specialist for JBSA-Lackland, San Antonio, TX. She connects schools, families and communities to meet the unique needs of PreK-12 military connected students by serving as the installation point of contact for all local military child education matters. Ms. Walker cultivates communication pathways between families, schools, community stakeholders, and the military by maintaining a working relationship with local schools and other agencies. She also customizes real-time solutions for military connected students facing transitional barriers and educational gaps by staying connected with agencies that provide education services to our military connected families. 

Email: [email protected]
Office: (210) 671-8388
Cell: (210) 850-5737


Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC)

MCEC logo

View essential digital resources for students, parents, education professionals, and influencers in multiple formats: videos, webinars, and downloadable documents. 
 


Additional Resources

Listed below are additional web page resources to provide local, regional, and national support to military families in transition.

 

Welcome to Health Careers High School military families! As you navigate your deployment or relocation to our district, we aim to provide you with as much support as possible. As you serve our country, our mission is to serve you. This webpage was created to provide you with valuable information to assist with your transition to our campus.

Enrollment and Registration

We are excited to welcome you to Health Careers High School (HCHS), a Northside Independent School District Magnet High School for students interested in the health sciences. Incoming 9th and 10th-grade students must apply for a spot to enroll at HCHS. The application for prospective 9th-grade students typically opens in December each year. For prospective 10th-grade students, the application becomes available on or around April 15th of each year.  

Applicants who may have missed their respective deadline and still wish to apply may contact Principal Jay Sumpter at [email protected] or (210) 397-5403.

For questions about our application process, please contact Johnny Martinez at [email protected] or (210) 397-5404.

If you’ve been accepted to Health Careers High School and are ready to begin the enrollment process, click the enrollment button or reach out to our Registrar, Gloria Macias, at [email protected] or (210) 397-5408.

Documents Required for Registration

The following documents may be uploaded directly into the online registration system or brought to the school so that copies can be made.

  • Child’s Social Security Card (optional)
  • Parents’/guardians’ driver’s license
  • An original certified copy of the child’s birth certificate
  • An up-to-date immunization record
  • Proof of residency:

Relocation Information

At Health Careers High School (HCHS), there are many ways for students and families to engage with us. In addition to engaging all our students in rich academics focused on meaningful applications of medical knowledge and skills, we offer a variety of student supports, extracurricular opportunities, and ways to get involved around campus. Embedded in our vision is our belief that our students grow in compassion, integrity, and excellence when they are meaningfully and intentionally involved with in and out-of-classroom enrichment activities. This section highlights various aspects of daily life at HCHS that students and families should know.

Jay Sumpter, Principal

Johnny Martinez, Principal’s Secretary

Gloria Benavidez Macias, Registrar

Claudia De Leon (Head Counselor & Counselor for students with last names S-Z)

Rose Mary Hernandez (Counselor for students with last names Herr - R)

Kimothy Riley (Military Family Liaison & Counselor for students with last names A - Hern)

Denise Orozco, College, Career, and Military Advisor

 

Please note: Transportation is typically provided to students residing within the NISD boundaries. If you have additional transportation questions, you may contact Assistant Principal Ms. Ramos at (210) 397-5406 or [email protected] 

  • Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society): peer tutoring for students needing additional help with any math topic
  • HCHS Tutoring Club: in-person, on campus, peer tutoring on any subject
    • Peer tutors meet every Monday and Thursday from 4:20 to 5:30 PM in room 135. Reach out to Ms. Bedolla at [email protected] with any questions
       
  • Northside Independent School District Online Tutoring: virtual (online) tutoring by NISD teachers in most subjects
    • Health Careers students can access NISD-certified teachers in most subjects by accessing the following:
      • Schoology
      • HAC
      • MyNISD Portal
         
  • Tutor.com: 24/7 online/virtual tutoring for US Military Families
     

3,000+ rigorously vetted tutors are available in more than 150+ subjects, including Spanish offerings in math, science, social studies, writing, study skills, and parent coaching.

 

Parents interested in learning more about or joining our Parent-Teacher-Student Association can contact PTSA President Deepti Sharan at [email protected].

 

Once enrolled with us at Health Careers High School, students from outside of the Northside Independent School District will have their records requested by our Registrar via TREx (for Texas residents). Students transferring to HCHS from out of state will have their records manually requested by our Registrar.

For students enrolling at Health Careers High School (HCHS) from within the Northside Independent School District, the current school will send your academic records directly to us at the end of the academic year. Families should ensure their campus School Counselor or Registrar knows they have been accepted and enrolled at HCHS.

Academic Planning

Click here to be taken to the Texas Education Agency website for more information on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. The Health Careers Military Family Liaison will gladly assist you with any questions or concerns.

The Interstate Compact is in place in all 50 states to ensure:

  • Smooth transitions from "Sending State" to "Receiving State"
  • Graduation requirement support
  • Transfer of educational and enrollment records
  • Eligibility for enrollment
  • Placement and Attendance

For more information, visit the Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission (MIC3) website: www.mic3.net

Counseling and Support Services

Northside Independent School District Mental Health Community Resources

Counseling services with JBSA Military & Family Readiness Centers

  • Military & Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) are licensed professionals who provide confidential situational, problem-solving counseling. No written records are kept, and it is free to active duty military and their family members.
    • Call to schedule an appointment:
      • JBSA-Fort Sam Houston: 210-421-9387
      • JBSA-Lackland: 210-984-1076 or 210-238-5528
      • JBSA-Randolph: 210-744-4829 or 210-996-4037

Military One Source
Military OneSource from the Defense Department is your 24/7 gateway to trusted information, resources, and confidential help. When MilLife happens, it’s your “first line of support” — giving service members and military families tools to stay well and thrive.

Military Child Education Coalition
The Military Child Education Coalition provides a wealth of information and resources for military children affected by mobility, family separation, and transition.

Health Careers High School Military Family Liaison

Military Family Liaison photo

Kimothy Riley

Professional School Counselor
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (210) 397-5409

Health Careers High School (HCHS) is a magnet high school within the Northside Independent School District. HCHS attracts students all over Bexar County who are interested in pursuing careers in various health professions. We have a 2023-24 enrollment of 915 students, which includes 81 military-connected students. We are a community that understands and values your service to our nation and we are honored to serve you and your family here at Health Careers High School.

The Military Family Liaison (MFL) is recognized as a school campus's dedicated professional focused on advocating for the social, emotional, academic, and extracurricular needs of military parents, families, and military-affiliated students. The MFL's major duties and responsibilities include:

  • Integrates the military-affiliated child into the campus
  • Serves as the point of contact for military-connected students and their families 
  • Collaborates with military-connected students, their families, and the campus to ensure student success
  • Maintains familiarity with enrollment processes, records transfer, existing community resources, and student supports
  • Ensures military-connected students are identified and properly coded through the Texas Student Data System Public Education Information Management System (TSDS PEIMS)
  • Determines campus-based supports and services available to military-connected students based on their unique needs, including their high mobility
  • Assists in coordinating campus-based programs relevant to military-connected students
  • Attends professional development or training annually to learn and understand topics related to the transition of military-connected students and their families
  • Offers professional development opportunities for staff members on issues related to military-connected students

For more information, please contact Health Careers High School's MFL Kimothy Riley at:

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (210) 397-5409