Hello Parents,
Welcome to Travis Air Force Base, California! This is the School Liaison webpage, your resource for educational information for your school-aged children. Please scroll to find the information, resources, and answers you need to make the best educational decisions for your children. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please contact us or check out the School Liaison Facebook page for more information and the latest K-12 school-related happenings.
Dr. Shirley Collins
Chief, Child and Youth Services
(707) 424-2729
shirley.collins@us.af.mil
California public schools use Common Core curriculum. For California Common Core state standards information, please go HERE.
There are three public school districts that serve the majority of Travis AFB TK-12 students. Public schools in our area offer Kindergarten through 12th grade instruction. Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is also being offered at all local school districts, but not in all elementary schools. Scroll down for the latest information on TK.
Travis Unified School District (TUSD)
There are two elementary schools on base: Scandia Elementary and Travis Elementary. Which elementary school your child will attend depends on where you reside on-base. Golden West Middle School and Vanden High School are right outside the base and can be accessed through the Forbes pedestrian gate without driving off base. The district also has two elementary schools in Vacaville (Foxboro and Cambridge) and one elementary school (Center elementary) adjacent to Travis AFB.
Vacaville Unified School District (VUSD)
Generally, if your home is on the northside of Alamo Drive, your children will attend VUSD schools. Scroll down for the link to the districts boundaries map. Vacaville USD has three high schools, one K-8 school, two middle schools and ten elementary schools.
The Vacaville USD has partnered with Kairos Public School Vacaville Academy, a TK-8 independent public charter school. Open enrollment usually occurs after the winter break. Click HERE for more information.
Fairfield/Suisun Unified School District (FSUSD).
FSUSD has three high schools, five middle schools and several elementary schools. Please note, two small Fairfield neighborhoods right outside the base off Peabody Road are served by the Travis USD.
Other School Districts in the Area
You may choose to live outside our three main school districts. Here are links to the other school districts in Solano County and the surrounding area. FYI: Napa, Winters, and Davis school districts are NOT in Solano County.
For active duty families assigned to Travis AFB who choose to live off-base OUTSIDE the Travis School District boundaries: Your children can attend school in the Travis Unified School District if there is space available. Most school districts in Solano County and surrounding areas have agreed to release military connected children residing in their boundaries to attend TUSD schools, but interdistrict transfer paperwork must be completed first. Please call or email me or the school district office for interdistrict transfer information.
Active duty families assigned to Travis AFB who reside off-base INSIDE the Travis School District boundaries must apply to have their elementary school-aged children attend on-base schools. Automatic acceptance is NOT guaranteed, and your child may be put on an attendance waiting list. If not accepted or placed on the wait list, your child will attend your off-base “home” school; either Cambridge, Foxboro, or Center elementary schools, depending on where you live within the district.
Kindergarten Requirements
Children entering Kindergarten must be five (5) years old on or before September 1st. A birth certificate must be presented when registering. Shot records must be current. A school physical must be completed within a year of the first day of school, preferably in the summer.
Transitional Kindergarten: Transitional Kindergarten is currently offered for children who turn 5 years old between Sept. 2nd and Dec. 2nd. A birth certificate must be presented when registering.
Travis USD has TK classes at Travis and Center elementary schools.
Vacaville USD has TK classes at several of their elementary schools; register your TK child at your home school.
Fairfield/Suisun USD also offers TK classes; please call (707) 399-5041 for current information on which schools offer TK.
Here is a link to the California Dept. of Education Transitional Kindergarten website.
Transportation
Currently, Travis USD is the only LOCAL school district that provides school bus service to all its general education students. Students must either reside within the school district boundaries or (if on an inter-district transfer) be transported to district bus stops to be able to ride the bus. Travis USD DOES charge a fee for bus service. Please visit the district website for additional information. Here is the LINK for the Travis USD bus transportation webpage. The Fairfield-Suisun school district provides limited bus transportation to certain groups of students. Go to their webpage for more information.
Homeschooling
There is an informal homeschool group on base for families who choose or wish to home school their children. This group is open to ALL Travis AFB homeschool families. Interested parents can contact the group through the group’s Facebook page.
CALIFORNIA LAW REGARDING HOME SCHOOLING: California compulsory school attendance age requirements are between the ages of 6 (by Oct. 1st) and under 18 years of age, unless a high school diploma or GED has been earned. Parents who want to home school in California have four (4) options:
OPTION 1: The individual home school qualifies as a private school by filing an annual private school affidavit with the Superintendent of Public Instruction between Oct 1 and Oct 15 of each school year. There are no formal teacher qualifications under this option.
OPTION 2: Home school students enroll in a private school satellite program and “homeschool” through that private school. The private school “satellite school program” (PSP) must comply with CA Education Code. There are no formal teacher qualifications under this option.
OPTION 3: The home school could have instruction provided by a certified private tutor. Teacher certification is necessary only if the home school parent chooses to qualify as a private tutor.
OPTION 4: The student(s) is enrolled in an independent study program at home, using the public school curriculum. Under this option, the student is considered a public school student and has to abide by the rules and policy of the public school district.
The California Department of Education has a link to frequently asked questions regarding home schooling. Click on “Schooling at Home” at the top of the page.
Two popular on-line resources for home schooling in California are HSLDA.org and Californiahomeschool.net.
Private School Information
There are several private schools in our area; the majority are faith-based. Private pre-K thru 12th grade schools must register with the state. Travis AFB does NOT endorse any private school.
The private schools our military families most seem to prefer are Vacaville Christian Schools (pre-K thru 12th), Bethany Lutheran School (pre-K thru 8th), and Notre Dame Catholic School (pre-K thru 8th). These three schools are located in Vacaville. Another private school used by our military families is Solano Christian Academy (pre-K thru 8th), in Fairfield. Again, listing the above schools does NOT imply endorsement from me or any unit or agency on Travis AFB.
There are other private school choices, and the California Department of Education releases an annual list of private schools that have at least six students. The list is sorted by county. Travis AFB is in Solano County.
Here is another informational link to private schools in our area.
Transportation
Currently, Travis USD is the only LOCAL school district that provides school bus service to all its general education students. Students must either reside within the school district boundaries or (if on an inter-district transfer) be transported to district bus stops to be able to ride the bus. Travis USD DOES charge a fee for bus service. Please visit the district website for additional information. Here is the LINK for the Travis USD bus transportation webpage. The Fairfield-Suisun school district provides limited bus transportation to certain groups of students. Go to their webpage for more information.
Online Tutor Available
Get online tutoring and career help for free. Certified, professional tutors and resources are available 24/7 for all subjects and all levels – K-12 students, college students and adult learners. Tutors only work with one student at a time. And it’s a safe, secure place to learn. Authorized users sign up online at www.tutor.com/airforce.