The Alabama State Department of Education announced on Wednesday that 122 Alabama schools have received 2023 Purple Star School designations. All 43 Huntsville City Schools were included in the award announcement, which affirms the district’s commitment to supporting students and families connected to our nation’s military.
“Military families make countless sacrifices to serve our country, and we are proud as a school district to serve them,” HCS Superintendent Christie Finley said.
The Purple Star School program was designed to help mitigate the challenges of high mobility by setting standards for and publicly designating military-friendly schools. Schools that earn the award receive special Purple Star School banners to display on site.
State Superintendent Dr. Eric G. Mackey said, “We want to ensure every student who moves to Alabama is given every opportunity for academic growth and achievement – and the Purple Star School Program helps families identify military-friendly schools and helps the schools become more prepared to address the challenges facing these students.”
Each HCS school site participates in Student2Student (S2S), a program designed to bring military and civilian students together to create a positive environment. The district also partners with Redstone Arsenal and the Military Child Education Coalition. For more information about district-wide military resources, visit the Military Families page of the HCS website. Each school website also has a featured pages button on their homepage with resources and information specific to that school, including a link to contact the Military Family Liaison at that school.