Purple Star Award applications are now open

Chantal Brown

September 12, 2024

News K-12

Graphic courtesy of NC DPI

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North Carolina is home to over 100,000 military personnel. How can public schools make their families feel more welcomed? Learn about the Purple Star Award designation.

Purple Star Award applications are now live for school districts interested in the military-connected designation.

From now until Feb. 3, 2025, schools and school districts can apply to be a Purple Star Award designee. The initiative is meant to recognize schools with military-friendly practices and support.

According to the Defense Manpower Data Center, North Carolina has the fourth largest population of military personnel in the United States. Its schools reflect that — with over 100,000 military-connected students, according to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

To be eligible for designation, schools must submit information about activities they did for military families during the 2024-25 academic year. Activities and other requirements for schools include the following:

A staff member must be designated as the point of contact and consultant for military students and families. This designee may be a school counselor, administrator, school social worker, teacher, or another staff member. A central office staff member must be assigned to support the designee.
Annual professional development regarding special considerations for military families and students must be provided to the applicant’s teachers. Evidence of the training is submitted to the application as an agenda, presentation material, and names of participants.
A page on the school’s website must be dedicated to military family resources. Schools may also have a page to link to a district website that outlines resources.
To support inbound and outbound military students and families, the school must have a transition program. Transition programs support students newly enrolling and withdrawing. They also provide families with checklists for the process.
Schools must also complete one of the following optional school activities before they can become a designee: military child of the year nominations, recognition, a support project, staff common read book, school welcome video, or photo slideshow.
If districts are having events that occur after the application deadline, they can submit evidence of those occasions with their application as well.

Districts receive special recognition if all of their schools fit the Purple Star Award criteria. The following were recognized in the 2023-24 academic year:

“Understanding that military-connected students and families transition on average six to nine times in a military child’s academic career, our school system takes pride in providing resources for them to ensure that their needs are met and that we provide every flexibility possible to ensure they have a smooth transition,” Marvin Connelly Jr., superintendent of Cumberland County Schools, said. “Cumberland County Schools’ designation as a Purple Star District confirms that we are doing the right and necessary work to ensure that military-connected families’ experience is seamless and that our entire district is viewed as military-friendly.”

A full list of 2023-24 awardees can be found through this here.

In 2019, the first year for the Purple Star Award, 10 districts and four charter schools were awarded the designation with a total of 132 schools. Last school year, the number of schools nearly tripled, spanning 26 districts and nine charters.

As deputy superintendent of innovation at DPI, Andrew Smith said that the increase in awardees is quite the feat.

“This growing number of schools is a testament of the unwavering commitment and dedication of our educators and administrators across this state. North Carolina has a long and proud history of supporting our military community,” Smith said at the 2024 awards presentation.

Schools are encouraged to review the worksheet version of the application before submitting their information via Qualtrics. DPI asked that questions be directed to State Military Liason Consultant Howard Lattimore. Office hours are available on the following days: