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Educators and military-connected individuals gathered Friday for the annual Purple Star Award ceremony at the North Carolina National Guard Base. Nearly 500 schools across 31 districts were designated by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) during the ceremony as “military-friendly.”
“North Carolina is home to a large population of active duty, guard, reserve, and veteran armed services members, and the state’s public schools reflect that,” DPI’s website says. “In 2019, The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction launched the Purple Star Award Designation initiative to recognize the state’s strong military presence and its support for military families.”
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Examples of practices that make schools eligible for the Purple Star award include having a military resource page on their website and a transition program for inbound and outbound families. Awarding-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. Finally, there must also be annual professional development addressing special considerations for military students and families.
Schools also had to select one of five military recognition events to host and subsequently list on their awards application: Month of the Military Child, Month of the Military Family, Purple-Up! For Military Kids!, Veteran’s Day, or Memorial Day.
For schools that receive the award, the Purple Star school designation is posted on school report cards, according to Howard Lattimore, state military liaison consultant for DPI. He said the designation stands out to military families when they are researching the best school for their students to attend.
“Ensuring that every North Carolina public school student has the appropriate support is paramount to achieving academic excellence in our schools,” state Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green said. “I applaud the hundreds of schools across the state who were awarded Purple Stars today. Their dedication to their students, their families and their communities does not go unnoticed, and I am grateful for all that you have done and continue to do for military students and their families.”
Among the 453 schools that received awards, 12 of them were charter schools. On top of receiving the Purple Star Designation, four public school units were also awarded legacy plaques, which go to those who have been Purple Star schools for at least five consecutive years.
Harnett County Schools, Alpha Academy, and Anderson Creek Academy were recognized for six consecutive years of awards, and Northeast Academy of Aerospace & Advanced Technology (NEAAAT) was recognized for five.
Some districts have received the Purple Star designation for all of their schools. Those 15 districts received the State Superintendent’s Purple Star Award. They are listed below:
- Carteret County Schools,
- Craven County Schools,
- Cumberland County Schools,
- Currituck County Schools,
- Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools,
- Harnett County Schools,
- Hoke County Schools,
- Jones County Schools,
- Moore County Schools,
- Onslow County Schools,
- Pender County Schools,
- Polk County Schools,
- Scotland County Schools,
- Wayne County Public Schools, and
- Whiteville City Schools.
Samuel Wilson, a 10th grade student in Harnett County, told the ceremony’s audience that his transitions from school to school have been seamless.
“The most significant challenge I face as a military-connected student is the lack of information regarding access to support services and awareness benefits, such as scholarship opportunities,” Wilson said. “Harnett Central’s emphasis on the Purple Star initiative, combined with the county and school-military connect websites, provide essential and valuable information.”
Wilson’s father served in the Army for eight years and now works as a small arms artillery repairman at Fort Bragg. As his father’s civilian role in the military still impacts his family, Wilson said he hopes to see more initiatives focused on military-connected students who do not have active duty parents.
Educators also heard from Brigadier General Charles W. Morrison, who currently serves as director of joint staff at the Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh. During his remarks, he said that the job of educators is “critical to the American experiment and its continuation.”
“As a husband of a public high school history and civics teacher, I’ve witnessed firsthand the long hours — both planning and grading that she puts into her work,” Morrison said. “I have also observed the lack of proper compensation and the acknowledgement of all of you that what you do to put in to assist in our students’ achievement. It is the same selfless service that is demonstrated by the military families that you serve and connect with through your programs on a daily basis. It has generational impact.”
You can read a full list of this year’s recipients here, and learn more about the award on DPI’s website.
