Homeschool fair in Texas showcases resources for military families

As more military parents choose homeschooling, School Liaison Offices such as the one in Fort Cavazos, Texas, are working to support them.

This month the military office hosted a Homeschool Resource Fair for families throughout the local area, according to the Fort Cavazos Sentinel.

“Our goal in the School Liaison Office is to make it easier for the families and have one spot for them to be able to have resources and support if needed,” said Kristine Caparco, school liaison officer (SLO) for Child and Youth Services. “We do have a homeschool resource packet that has information about the laws, the TEA (Texas Education Agency) regulations for homeschooling in the state of Texas, … a plethora of resources for curriculum, extracurricular activities and ways for them to come together.”

An estimated 12% of military parents are homeschooling, a 2022 BlueStar Families “Military Families Lifestyle Survey” found. 

The office has helped Sanderlin George, an Army spouse, complete her first year of homeschooling. She came to the resource fair, which occurs twice a year in the fall and spring seasons. 

“I love it because it gives more things that are actually here – local – that I can go to, and the kids can participate and be with other homeschoolers,” she said. “I like that we can come to these and actually find resources here.” 

‘Lot of education that needed to be done’ 

Homeschool organizations such as the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) have taken steps to alert SLOs about homeschoolers’ needs. The nonprofit’s military outreach program provides training, as well as an overview of homeschool methods and legal procedures. 

“There was a lot of education that needed to be done, not only for our team but for our communities,” said Lori Phipps, an SLO from the U.S. Air Force. 

“We’re not there to get into what you’re doing; we’re there to help provide resources and support mechanisms – anything from Tutor.com to scholarships.” 

Sometimes military parents may not realize the extent of resources available to them, or they may feel afraid to reach out, Phipps noted. 

“I think there’s a lot of misconnection or miscommunication. … It just may be unawareness of what we do and what we can bring to the table.” 

Events such as the fair can help bridge this gap – not only for military families, but also homeschoolers in general, according to Caparco. 

“The homeschool resource fair is designed to provide information for families in the local area who are homeschooling, and some of the entities are going to be here from the installation, DOD (Department of Defense) entities and then we also reach out to the community,” she explained. “That way, families can have information in the full local area and not just on the (military) installation.”