596 NC Schools Receive Purple Star Award for Military Family Support

The Department of Public Instruction named 596 schools across North Carolina as "military-friendly" during the Purple Star Award ceremony on Friday at the North Carolina National Guard Base in Raleigh. Fifteen charter schools made the list.

State Superintendent Maurice "Mo" Green said schools make a difference when they help families through the unpredictability of military life. "School may be indeed the only source of consistency throughout the week, each of our schools and districts have gone above and beyond to support military-supporting students and their families while they are part of North Carolina public schools," Green said, per EdNC.

The Purple Star Award Designation initiative started in 2019. It recognizes the state's strong military presence and its support for military families. Schools must meet specific requirements to qualify. They need a military resource page on their website. They also need a transition program for inbound and outbound families.

Winning schools must have a staff member liaison for military families, and districts must also have a central office employee who serves as a point person for those liaisons. Annual professional development must address special considerations for military students and families. Schools also had to host one of five military recognition events: Month of the Military Child, Month of the Military Family, Purple-Up! For Military Kids!, Veteran's Day, or Memorial Day.

Seven public school units received legacy plaques for being Purple Star schools or districts for six straight years. Three schools have earned the designation every year since the program's inception: Alpha Academy, Anderson Creek Academy, and Harnett County Schools. The ceremony also recognized 13 districts that received the State Superintendent's Purple Star District Award for the first time.