FAIRBORN — Fairborn City Schools is a next door neighbor to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, sending a number of new students in military families to the district each year. While Superintendent Mark North said he has observed students going out of their way to welcome new individuals to the FCS community, outside entities still offer support to those military families by providing counselors.

North added that having students attend FCS for a short period of time before moving once again is part of the district’s culture, creating an environment in which students are more accepting of new individuals coming into their classrooms. While Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s proximity impacts the amount of new students the district sees each year, North said it does not impact decisions made by the FCS Board of Education.

“Students do a good job of making new students feel welcome,” North said. ” … Our students focus on taking care of students no matter how long they’re here.”

The counselors, which are aimed to help students adjust to the movement, were first offered this year by Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. FCS is not the only district families serving WPAFB will choose to send their children as more options are available, but North said the district gets several just like its neighboring districts.

“Our job is simple,” North said. “To provide the best education possible for each kid.”

He said he has observed that students who have attended FCS for a number of years are used to seeing new students, adding that his personal experience moving to the district helped him see that first-hand.