Boot Camps & Military Schools in Iowa

Parents seeking a solution to the behavior of their troubled teens may receive the advice to look into military school or boot camp. However, before making a selection, it is important to understand the details of the different programs available. At Help Your Teen Now, we aim to educate and inform parents about the options for your at-risk teen. Take advantage of our free phone consultation to see how we can provide you with the knowledge you need to move forward.

Boot Camps Are Not The Best Option for Troubled Teens from Iowa

The reality of military school and boot camps for teens are different than what you might have seen in the movies. There are factors that may make these programs a poor fit for your child’s needs. Military schools are institutions that prepare students for officer service in the military, while providing a quality education. These facilities do not make allowances for at-risk teens and students who cannot or will not respect authority will be asked to leave. Boot camps follow a similar military regime, but are remedial and short-term. While the rigid schedule and tough discipline style may be a first step toward a long term therapy program, boot camps have been proven to have a very low long term success rate. Because they are non-therapeutic and non-academic, they do very little to deal with the teen’s issues causing the behaviors and recurrence of bad behavior is likely. At Help Your Teen Now, we partner with you as you explore other options such as therapeutic boarding schools and alternative high schools in order to give you and your teen a better shot at reaching your long term goals.

Iowa Regulatory Laws

Although accreditation for nonpublic schools is optional, schools that wish to apply must submit an application to the Department of Education the prior year. Iowa Code §281.12. Teacher certification is required for instructors in all accredited schools (Iowa Code §280.2) and all schools must be adequately staffed according to state standards. Iowa Code §280.14. A minimum educational program as detailed by the Iowa Board of Education must be implemented by all accredited schools, both public and nonpublic. The program must reflect a “multicultural, gender fair approach” (Iowa Code §§256.11, 280.3) and nonpublic schools are required to incorporate career education and occupational education into their curriculum. Iowa Code §256.11b. Non-emergency medical services may be performed by nonpublic schools without a license or previous consent. Iowa Code §280.23. A minimum of two fire drills and two tornado drills are required each semester. Installed warning systems and safety regulations must be inspected by the local fire department at least every two years. Iowa Code §100.31. Parents may receive tax credits for books and tuition in private schools. Iowa Code §422.12.

Reference: http://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/regprivschl/regprivschl.pdf