13 Prince William County Schools Earn Military-Friendly Purple Star

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — Every year, the Virginia Department of Education recognizes schools meeting the needs of military families with a Purple Star designation. Thirteen schools in Prince William County have earned the designation in 2024.

Schools newly earning the Purple Star are Alvey Elementary School, Cedar Point Elementary School, Gar-Field High School, King Elementary School, Osbourn Park High School, Ronald Wilson Reagan Middle School, The Nokesville School and Triangle Elementary School. Schools with renewed Purple Star designation are Ashland Elementary School, Parkside Middle School, Pattie Elementary School, Porter Traditional School and Tyler Elementary School.

There are 39 other PWCS locations with the Purple Star, bringing the new total to 47. An estimated 5,000 military-connected students attend PWCS.

"When our military families see that a school is Purple Star designated, they can rest assured that their children are in an environment where they feel seen, supported, and valued," said Kimberly Simpson, military achievement specialist at Prince William County Public Schools. "The commitment and hard work of these 13 schools is truly commendable. It's inspiring to see such dedication to providing a nurturing and inclusive space for our military-connected students."

Prince William County has a notable military family presence, as it is home to Marine Corps Base Quantico and is part of the national capital region with other federal facilities for military personnel.

Schools earning Purple Star designation must meet requirements such as having a staff contact for military students and families, providing professional development for staff on military-connected students' needs, having a division-wide page on military student and family support, coordinating a student-led transition program and completing at least one division-wide activity.

Schools maintain the Purple Star designation for three years before they must reapply. Pattie and Tyler Elementary schools have earned the Purple Star designation once before, while Ashland Elementary, Parkside Middle, and Porter Traditional have earned it two times before.

The Purple Star Schools designation has been awarded annually since 2018. According to PWCS, these students face frequent relocations, must adapt to new academic and social situations and must face the impact of a parent's deployment. Virginia as a whole has 484 Purple Star schools.