190 Schools Earn Virginia Purple Star Awards for Meeting the Needs of Military Children and Families
Richmond, Va. — The Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (The Council) are recognizing 190 Virginia public and private schools as “Purple Star” schools. 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.
“Virginia is home to the largest population of military connected children in the country,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons. “As a military spouse myself, and the mother of members of the military, I understand the unique needs our military-connected families face and the important roles our schools play in supporting them. I am proud that so many of Virginia’s schools are stepping up to support the children of our service members, and I am proud to recognize their commitment to those who serve our nation.”
Fifty schools were second-time recipients of the distinction and 41 were third-time recipients. This is the seventh year the VDOE and The Council have designated Purple Star schools. Since 2018, VDOE and The Council have provided 791 awards to deserving schools across Virginia, 489 of which have maintained an active designation and 228 have received the designation more than once.
This year, Falls Church City Public Schools, Gloucester County Public Schools, and King George County Public Schools have achieved Purple Star division status. To reach and maintain Purple Star division status, all schools in the school division must have an active Purple Star School Designation. Chesapeake Public Schools, York County Public Schools, and Stafford County Public Schools have maintained their Purple Star division statuses this year with the awarding of schools in their divisions.
The Council was created in 2009 to ensure that all matters related to the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children were managed with fidelity. The compact expresses the commitment of participating states to remove barriers to academic success for children of military families. The Council is responsible for the ushering in of the Purple Star designation award program in the Commonwealth. Virginia was the second state, after Ohio, in establishing Purple Star school recognition. Today, there are 43 states who have adopted the Purple Star School designation program.
Schools earning the award receive a certificate of recognition from the Virginia Council and a Virginia Purple Star. Schools retain the designation for three years before being required to reapply.
The 2024-25 Virginia public and private schools that have earned a Purple Star award are listed below. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are receiving their second Purple Star award and those with two asterisks (**) are receiving their third award:
Albemarle County Public Schools
Baker-Butler Elementary School Lakeside Middle School
Alexandria City Public Schools
Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School
Arlington County Public Schools
Cardinal Elementary School Gunston Middle School Nottingham Elementary School Yorktown High School
Chesapeake County Public Schools
** B. M. Williams Primary Butts Road Intermediate School **Camelot Elementary School **Cedar Road Elementary School *Crestwood Intermediate **Deep Creek Central Elementary School *Deep Creek Elementary *Deep Creek High School **Deep Creek Middle School *E.W. Chittum Elementary School *G. A Treakle Elementary School *Georgetown Primary **Grassfield Elementary **Grassfield High School *Great Bridge Intermediate *Great Bridge Primary School
Chesapeake County Public Schools
*Greenbrier Primary School *Hickory High School **Hickory Middle School **Indian River High School **Oscar Smith High School *Rena B. Wright **Southeastern Elementary *Southwestern Elementary *Sparrow Intermediate *Thurgood Marshall Elementary *Truitt Intermediate School **Western Branch High School *Western Branch Intermediate School *Western Branch Primary School
Fairfax County Public Schools
Bren Mar Park Elementary Bryant High School Bush Hill Elementary School *Cameron Elementary School Chantilly High School Cherry Run Elementary School **Clermont Elementary School Columbia Elementary Cooper Middle School Deer Park Elementary Dranesville Elementary School Fairfax High School **Fairview Elementary School **Flint Hill Elementary School Forestdale Elementary School
Fairfax County Public Schools
**Fort Belvoir Primary **Fort Belvoir Upper School Great Falls Elementary School Haycock Elementary School Hollin Meadows Elementary School **Hunt Valley Elementary School *Island Creek Elementary School John R. Lewis High School *Keene Mill Elementary School Little Run Elementary School Mount Eagle Elementary School Newington Forest Elementary School Oak View Elementary School Oakton High School Olde Creek Elementary School Pine Spring Elementary *Ravensworth Elementary Riverside Elementary School **Sangster Elementary *Union Mill Elementary School Waples Mill Elementary School **Waynewood Elementary School White Oaks Elementary School
Falls Church City Public Schools
Jessie Thackery Preschool Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School Meridan High School Mt. Daniel Elementary School Oak Street Elementary School
Gloucester County Public Schools
Page Middle School *Petsworth Elementary School
Hampton City Public Schools
Barron Fundamental Elementary School Kilgore Gifted Center Phoebus High School Hunter B. Andrews Tarrant Middle School
Henrico County Public Schools
Henry Ward Elementary School
Isle of Wight County Public Schools
Carrsville Elementary
King George County Public Schools
King George Elementary King George High School King George Middle School Potomac Elementary School Sealston Elementary School
Loudoun County Public Schools
*Brambleton Middle School Broad Run High School Little River Elementary School *River Bend Middle School Stone Bridge High School
Newport News City Public Schools
General Stanford Elementary School
Norfolk City Public Schools
** Bay View Elementary School *Tarrallton Elementary School *Willard Model Elementary School
Portsmouth Public Schools
Brighton Elementary Churchland High School Cradock Elementary School Douglass Park Elementary Park View Elementary School W.E. Waters Middle School Waterview Elementary
Prince William County Public Schools
** Ashland Elementary Cedar Point Elementary School Gar-Field High School *George G. Tyler Elementary J.W. Alvey Elementary School Martin Luther King Jr Elementary ** Mary G. Porter Traditional School Osbourn Park High School ** Parkside Middle School *Pattie Elementary Ronald Reagan Middle School The Nokesville School Triangle Elementary School
Spotsylvania County Public Schools
Battlefield Elementary Battlefield Middle School Berkeley Elementary
Spotsylvania County Public Schools
Cedar Forest Elementary School Chancellor Elementary Chancellor High School Courtland High School Freedom Middle School Harrison Road Elementary School Livingston Elementary School Massaponax High School Ni River Middle School *Parkside Elementary Post Oak Middle School *Riverview Elementary School Smith Station Elementary School *Spotswood Elementary School Spotsylvania Elementary School Spotsylvania High School
Stafford County Public Schools
** Conway Elementary *Falmouth Elementary School ** Rocky Run Elementary
Suffolk County Public Schools
Col. Fred Cherry Middle School Elephant's Fork Elementary Northern Shores Elementary
Virginia Beach City Public Schools
** Bayside High School **Brandon Middle School *College Park Elementary School Corporate Landing Elementary School
Virginia Beach City Public Schools
** Corporate Landing Middle School First Colonial High School ** Floyd E. Kellam High School *Great Neck Middle School ** Hermitage Elementary School *Kempsville High School *Kingston Elementary School ** Landstown Middle School ** Linkhorn Park Elementary School *Malibu Elementary New Castle Elementary ** North Landing Elementary *Princess Anne Elementary *Princess Anne High School *Salem Elementary School ** Shelton Park Elementary School ** Virginia Beach Middle School *W.T. Cooke Elementary ** Windsor Woods Elementary School *Woodstock Elementary School
Virginia Private Schools
*Alexandria Country Day School Atlantic Shores Christian School Cape Henry Collegiate *Norfolk Collegiate School ** Our Lady of Mount Carmel School *Saint Gregory the Great Catholic School Saint Rita School *St. Louis Catholic School
Virginia Private Schools
St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School *Star of The Sea Catholic School
Williamsburg James City County Public Schools
Jamestown High School
York County Public Schools
Bruton High School ** Coventry Elementary School **Grafton Bethel Elementary *Magruder Elementary **Tabb Middle School
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