State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces 2023 California Purple Star Schools

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today announced that 59 schools have been designated as a 2023 Purple Star School. Now in its second year, the California Purple Star School Designation Program (Purple Star Program) publicly recognizes schools that are committed and equipped to meet military-connected students and their families’ unique needs.

“Congratulations to the incredible staff, educators, administrators, parents, and students at these schools,” said Thurmond. “These schools are examples of best practices in supporting our military-connected students, ensuring staff provide students with crucial academic, college, and career supports while their parents serve our country.”

Purple Star Program schools seek to reduce the burden on military-connected students and their families by providing the most critical transition supports for military-connected students and their families. The military is one of the United States’ largest workforces, with more than 2.6 million active-duty service members and individuals serving in the National Guard and Reserves. In 2022, California had 278,397 active-duty service members and 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 2023 Purple Star Schools

• Admiral Akers Elementary School, Central Union Elementary School
• Angier Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
• Antelope Elementary School, Eastern Sierra Unified School District
• Bonsall Elementary School, Bonsall Unified School District
• Bonsall High School, Bonsall Unified School District
• Bonsall West Elementary School, Bonsall Unified School District
• Boron Junior-Senior High School, Muroc Joint Unified School District
• Cal Coast Academy, San Dieguito Union High
• Cambridge Elementary School, Travis Unified School District
• Center Elementary School, Travis Unified School District
• Chesterton Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
• Coleville High School, Eastern Sierra Unified School District
• Condor Elementary School, Morongo Unified School District
• Coronado High School, Coronado Unified School District
• Coronado Middle School, Coronado Unified School District
• Coronado Village Elementary School, Coronado Unified School District
• Correia Middle School, San Diego Unified School District
• Crown Point Junior Music Academy Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
• Desert Junior-Senior High School, Muroc Joint Unified School District
• Dorothy McElhinney Middle School, Murrieta Valley Unified School District
• Elevate Charter School, San Diego
• Foxboro Elementary School, Travis Unified School District
• Golden West Middle School, Travis Unified School District
• Hage Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
• Hancock Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
• Hawthorne High School, Centinela Valley Union High School District
• Irving L. Branch Elementary School, Muroc Joint Unified School District
• Jonas Salk Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
• Las Posas Elementary School, Pleasant Valley School District
• Lawndale High School, Centinela Valley Union High School District
• Leuzinger High School, Centinela Valley Union High School District
• Loma Portal Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
• Monte Vista Middle School, Pleasant Valley School District
• Norman L. Sullivan Middle School, Bonsall Unified School District
• North Terrace Elementary School, Oceanside Unified School District
• Oak Valley Middle School, Poway Unified School District
• Ocean View Hills Elementary School, San Ysidro Elementary School District
• Point Loma High School, San Diego Unified School District
• R. J. Neutra School, Central Union School District
• R. K. Lloyde High School, Centinela Valley Union High School District
• San Onofre School, Fallbrook Union Elementary School District
• Sandburg Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
• Santa Margarita Elementary School, Oceanside Unified School District
• Scandia Elementary School, Travis Unified School District
• Silver Strand Elementary School, Coronado Unified School District
• Stuart Mesa Elementary School, Oceanside Unified School District
• Taft Middle School, San Diego Unified School District
• Travis Education Center, Travis Unified School District
• Travis Elementary School, Travis Unified School District
• Travis Independent Study, Travis Unified School District
• Twentynine Palms Elementary School, Morongo Unified School District
• Twentynine Palms High School, Morongo Unified School District
• Twentynine Palms Junior High School, Morongo Unified School District
• Vanden High School, Travis Unified School District
• Vista Del Mar Middle School, San Ysidro Elementary School District
• Vivian Banks Charter School, Bonsall Unified School District
• Wangenheim Middle School, San Diego Unified School District
• West Boron Elementary School, Muroc Joint Unified School District
• William A. Bailey Elementary School, Muroc Joint 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