State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces Inaugural California Purple Star Schools

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today announced that 31 schools have been designated as Purple Star Schools. The newly created California Purple Star School Designation Program (Purple Star Program) publicly recognizes schools that are committed and equipped to meet the unique needs of military-connected students and their families. Purple Star Program schools seek to reduce the burdens on military-connected students and their families by providing support, creating transition programs, and offering staff professional development. This is the first year that schools are being recognized for this award, and the California Department of Education (CDE) plans to make it an annual recognition program.

“Congratulations to the educators, staff, administrators, parents, and students at these schools,” said Thurmond. “These schools are crucial to supporting our military-connected students and ensuring that they maintain their academic, college, and career aspirations while their parents serve our country.”

The military is one of the United States’ largest workforces, with more than two million active duty service members and individuals serving in the National Guard and Reserves. Many of these service members are parents or guardians of minor children. In 2017, California had 184,540 active duty service members and 56,167 individuals serving in the National Guard and Reserves.

Military-connected students must move whenever their active-duty parent or guardian receives a relocation order. These required relocations mean that a military-connected child can expect to change schools between six and nine times from grades K–12, which is three times more often than nonmilitary-connected children. As military-connected students transition between schools, often to different states and countries, they must adapt to varying cultures, school populations, curricula, standards, course offerings, schedules, and graduation requirements. As a result, military-connected students often face unique academic and social-emotional challenges and struggle to stay on track to be college- and career-ready.

California’s 2022 Purple Star Schools:

• Bonsall Elementary School , Bonsall Unified School District
• Bonsall High School, Bonsall Unified School District
• Bonsall West Elementary School, Bonsall Unified School District
• Cabrillo Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
• Canyon Hills High School, San Diego Unified School District
• Compass Charter Schools of Los Angeles, Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District
• Compass Charter Schools of San Diego, Mountain Empire Unified School District
• Compass Charter School of Yolo, Winters Joint Unified School District
• Dana Middle School, San Diego Unified School District
• Dewey Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
• Fort Irwin Middle School, Silver Valley Unified School District
• Hage Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
• Jonas Salk Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
• Lewis Elementary School, Silver Valley Unified School District
• Lone Tree Elementary School, Wheatland School District
• Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary School, Fallbrook Union Elementary School District
• Miller Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
• Montgomery Middle School, San Diego Unified School District
• Newberry Springs Elementary School, Silver Valley Unified School District
• Ocean View Hills School, San Ysidro Elementary School District
• San Onofre Elementary School, Fallbrook Union Elementary School District
• Sessions Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
• Silver Valley Academy, Silver Valley Unified School District
• Silver Valley High School, Silver Valley Unified School District
• Stuart Mesa Elementary School, Oceanside Unified School District
• Tiefort View Intermediate School, Silver Valley Unified School District
• Two Rock Union Elementary School, Two Rock Union School District
• Vivian Banks Charter School, Bonsall Unified School District
• Wheatland Charter Academy, Wheatland School District
• Wheatland Union High School, Wheatland Union High School District
• Yermo Elementary School, Silver Valley Unified School District
  

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100