95 Schools Earn Virginia Purple Star Awards
RICHMOND — The Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children are recognizing 95 schools as “Purple Star” schools for the 2021-2022 school year. The Purple Star designation is awarded to military-friendly schools that have demonstrated their commitment to meeting the needs of military-connected students and their families.
To qualify for a Purple Star, schools must have a staff member designated as the point of contact for military students and families. The point of contact serves as the primary link between the military family and the school. Schools must also demonstrate their commitment to meeting the needs of military students by providing resources and programming on issues important to military families, such as academic planning and transitions between schools, districts and states.
“Virginia has long been a partner with all branches of service, having military children and families in virtually every community in our commonwealth,” Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction Rosa Atkins said. “Anticipating and meeting the needs of military-connected students should be part of every school’s plan to provide equitable instructional and support services for all students.”
The public schools earning 2021-2022 Purple Star awards are as follows, by division:
- Chesapeake — B. M. Williams Primary, Butts Road Intermediate, Camelot Elementary, Cedar Road Elementary, Crestwood Intermediate, Deep Creek Central Elementary, Deep Creek Elementary, Deep Creek High, Deep Creek Middle, Edwin W. Chittum Elementary, G.A. Treakle Elementary, Georgetown Primary, Grassfield Elementary, Grassfield High, Great Bridge Intermediate, Great Bridge Primary, Greenbrier Primary, Hickory High, Hickory Middle, Indian River High, Oscar F. Smith High, Rena B. Wright Primary, Southeastern Elementary, Southwestern Elementary, Sparrow Road Intermediate, Thurgood Marshall Elementary, Truitt Intermediate, Western Branch High, Western Branch Intermediate and Western Branch Primary.
- Chesterfield County — Clover Hill High and Hopkins Road Elementary.
- Fairfax County — Cameron Elementary, Clermont Elementary, Fairview Elementary, Flint Hill Elementary, Fort Belvoir Primary, Fort Belvoir Upper Elementary, Hunt Valley Elementary, Island Creek Elementary, Ravensworth Elementary, Sangster Elementary and Waynewood Elementary.
- Loudoun County — Brambleton Middle and River Bend Middle.
- Newport News — General Stanford Elementary.
- Norfolk — Bay View Elementary, Granby High, Larrymore Elementary, Mary Calcott Elementary, Norview High and Tarrallton Elementary.
- Prince William County — Ashland Elementary, George G. Tyler Elementary, Mary G. Porter Traditional School and Parkside Middle.
- Spotsylvania County — Parkside Elementary
- Stafford County — Conway Elementary, Falmouth Elementary and Rocky Run Elementary.
- Virginia Beach — Bayside Elementary, Brandon Middle, College Park Elementary, Corporate Landing Elementary, Diamond Springs Elementary, Fairfield Elementary, Floyd E. Kellam High, Great Neck Middle, Green Run Elementary, Hermitage Elementary, Kempsville Elementary, Kempsville High, Kingston Elementary, Linkhorn Park Elementary, Malibu Elementary, New Castle Elementary, Newtown Elementary, North Landing Elementary, Parkway Elementary, Princess Anne High, Shelton Park Elementary, Tallwood Elementary, Virginia Beach Middle, W.T. Cooke Elementary, White Oaks Elementary, Windsor Woods Elementary and Woodstock Elementary.
- York County — Coventry Elementary, Grafton Bethel Elementary, Magruder Elementary and Tabb Middle.
Five Virginia private schools earning Purple Star awards for 2021-2022 are as follows: Alexandria Country Day School, Norfolk Collegiate, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Newport News, St. Gregory the Great Catholic in Virginia Beach and St. Louis Catholic in Alexandria.
This is the fourth year VDOE and the Virginia Council have designated Purple Star schools. Since 2018, 258 schools have been recognized with the award.
Schools earning the award receive a Virginia Purple Star commemorative coin to display and are listed as a Purple Star school on the VDOE website. Purple Star schools retain the designation for three years before being required to reapply.
Virginia is home to several of the largest and most important military installations in the nation. Currently there are more than 79,000 military-connected students attending schools in the commonwealth whose parents serve on active duty, in the reserves, or in the Virginia National Guard.
The Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children was created in 2009 to consider any and all matters related to the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. The compact expresses the commitment of participating states to remove barriers to academic success for children of military families.
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