North Carolina has long been home to a large population of active duty, guard, reserve and veteran armed service members. In recognition of the state’s rich military-history, the Department of Public Instruction is pleased to recognize hundreds of schools as part of its Purple Star Award Designation initiative which first launched in the 2019-20 school year.
For the 2020-2021 school year, 288 schools, including 5 charter schools and 7 Department of Defense Education Agency (DODEA) schools, will receive the Purple Star recognition. These schools hail from 13 districts across North Carolina and represent an increase from the 10 districts in which schools earned the recognition in the prior school year.
Additionally, eight districts will be honored with the State Superintendent’s Purple Star District Award, as all of the schools in the eight districts qualify for the Purple Star designation. These districts include: DODEA Camp Lejeune Schools, Carteret County Schools, Cumberland County Schools, Harnett County Schools, Moore County Schools, Pender County Schools, Wayne County Public Schools and Whiteville City Schools. The schools who have earned this recognition will be honored at a virtual ceremony on April 14th.
Of the 288 schools awarded, 156 were new applicants, demonstrating how much this program has grown since it first launched back in 2020. Notably, seven of the eight districts receiving the State Superintendent’s Purple Star Districts Award are also first-time award recipients for being military-friendly districts.
The department is proud to continue this initiative as a way to honor the schools that demonstrate military-friendly practices and a commitment to military students and families. Schools across the state applied for the special designation, and schools deemed as Purple Star Schools are those that completed several required activities, plus an optional activity, aimed at ensuring strong support for students of military families. Schools earning the Purple Star Award were required to have a staff member as a designated point of contact for military students and families, a designated central administration staff member supporting the point of contact in the school and also the provision of annual professional development addressing special considerations for military students and families.
In addition, Purple Star schools provide a dedicated page on their websites for military family resources or links to the district’s webpage with military family resources as well as a transition program to support inbound and outbound military students and families, along with a checklist for their use.
For the optional activities, awarded schools selected from one of five activities with many of the school opting for more than one. These include a school-hosted annual military recognition event such as Month of the Military Child, Month of the Military Family, Purple-Up! For Military Kids!, Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day. Schools may also have conducted a support project connecting the school with the military community, such as adopt-a-school, letters or care package collections for troops, a staff common-read book about military students or a school video or slideshow of pictures to highlight certain aspects of the school facility (i.e. gym, cafeteria, media center, typical classroom, playground) on its website as a way to help orient new students transitioning to the area.
Unique from the 2019-2020 school year is that the optional and required activities could be completed virtually, and many schools took advantage of that opportunity, from virtual Veteran’s Day ceremonies to virtually held professional development. Additionally, many schools found creative approaches, such as drive-thru Veteran’s Day parades, web-based recognitions and more.
After review of all applications, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is proud to award the following schools with the 2020-21 Purple Star Award Designation:
Charter Schools
Alpha Academy, Fayetteville
NEAAAT, Elizabeth City
Anderson Creek Academy, Spring Lake
Wayne Preparatory, Goldsboro
Peak Charter Academy, Apex
DODEA Camp Lejeune Schools
Bitz Intermediate School
Brewster Middle School
DeLalio Elementary School
Heroes Elementary School
Johnson Primary School
Lejeune High School
Tarawa Terrace Elementary School
Carteret County Schools
Bogue Sound Elementary School
West Carteret High School
Bridges School
Broad Creek Middle School
Newport Middle School
Beaufort Middle School
Morehead City Primary School
Beaufort Elementary School
Atlantic Elementary School
Harkers Island Elementary School
White Oak Elementary School
Newport Elementary School
Marine Science and Technologies Innovative High School
Morehead City Middle School
Morehead Elementary School
Down East Middle School
Croatan High School
East Carteret High School
Smyrna Elementary School
Craven County
Havelock High School
WJ Gurganus Elementary School
Tucker Creek Middle School
Creekside Elementary School
Bridgeton Elementary School
Havelock Elementary School
Oaks Road Academy
Grover C. Fields Middle School
Arthur W. Edwards Elementary School
West Craven Middle School
Early College EAST High School
Roger Bell New Tech Academy
Vanceboro Farm Life Elementary School
New Bern High School
Ben D. Quinn Elementary School
Havelock Middle School
JT Barber Elementary School
Trent Park Elementary School
Graham A. Barden Elementary School
West Craven High School
Brinson Memorial Elementary School
Cumberland County
Cumberland International Early College High School
Teresa C. Berrien Elementary School
Cumberland Academy 6-12
Howard Learning Academy
Ashley Elementary School
Ed. V. Baldwin Elementary School
Cumberland Academy K-5
New Century International Elementary School
Cliffdale Elementary School
Cumberland Polytechnic High School
JW Seabrook Elementary School
Glendale Acres Elementary School
Max Abbott Middle School
Morganton Road Elementary School
Ponderosa Elementary School
Westarea Elementary School
Howard Hall Elementary School
William T. Brown Elementary School
E E Miller Elementary School
Brentwood Elementary School
Melvin Honeycutt Elementary School
Hope Mills Middle School
E.E. Smith High School
Vanstory Hills Elementary School
Cumberland Mills Elementary School
Rockfish Elementary School
District 7 Elementary School
Pine Forest Middle School
Lillian Black Elementary School
Long Hill Elementary School
Douglas Byrd Middle School
Lewis Chapel Middle School
Pine Forest High School
Seventy-First Classical Middle School
Luther Nick Jeralds Middle School
Cumberland Road Elementary School
Alger B Wilkins High School
Montclair Elementary School
Anne Chestnut Middle School
Elizabeth Cashwell Elementary School
Raleigh Rd. Elementary School
Alma Easom Elementary School
Ferguson-Easley Elementary School
Lake Rim Elementary School
William H Owen Elementary School
New Century International Middle School
Stoney Point Elementary School
John Griffin Middle School
Benjamin J. Martin Elementary School
Stedman Elementary School
Anne Chestnutt Middle School
Jack Britt High School
Massey Hill Classical High School
Mary McArthur Elementary School
College Lakes Elementary School
Margaret Willis Elementary School
South View High School
Westover Middle School
Sherwood Park Elementary School
Lucile Souders Elementary School
Armstrong Elementary School
Cape Fear High School
Terry Sanford High School
Mac Williams Middle School
Stedman Primary School
Sunnyside Elementary School
Gallberry Farm Elementary School
South View Middle School
Eastover-Central Elementary School of Arts
Douglas Byrd High School
Beaver Dam Elementary School
J.W. Coon Elementary School
Gray's Creek Elementary School
Ramsey Street High School
Loyd Auman Elementary School
Alderman Road Elementary School
Spring Lake Middle School
Manchester Elementary School
Ireland Drive Middle School
Wayne Collier Elementary School
Cross Creek Early College High School
Warrenwood Elementary School
Bill Hefner Elementary School
The Walker Spivey Elementary School
Reid Ross Classical School
Westover High School
Gray's Creek High School
Seventy-First High School
Gray's Creek Middle School
Harnett County
Harnett County Early College High School
Wayne Avenue Elementary School
Anderson Creek Primary School
Harnett Central High School
Western Harnett Middle School
Coats Erwin Middle School
Coats Elementary School
Boone Trail Elementary School
LaFayette Elementary School
Benhaven Elementary School
Overhills Middle School
Lillington Shawtown Elementary School
Triton High School
Buies Creek Elementary School
Dunn Middle School
Overhills Elementary School
Western Harnett High School
Overhills High School
North Harnett Primary School
STAR Academy
Harnett Primary School
Highland Middle School
Harnett Central Middle School
Angier Elementary School
South Harnett Elementary
Highland Elementary School
Erwin Elementary School
Johnsonville Elementary School
Hoke County Schools
Scurlock Elementary School
West Hoke Elementary School
Upchurch Elementary School
West Hoke Middle School
East Hoke Middle School
Hawk Eye Elementary School
J.W. McLauchlin Elementary School
Sandy Grove Middle School
Don Steed Elementary School
Rockfish Hoke Elementary School
Sandy Grove Elementary School
Sand Hoke Early College High School
Johnston County
Smithfield-Selma High School
Moore County Schools
North Moore High School
Elise Middle School
West Pine Middle School
West Pine Elementary School
Aberdeen Elementary School
Vass-Lakeview Elementary School
Southern Middle School
Cameron Elementary School
Southern Pines Elementary School
Pinecrest High School
West End Elementary School
Carthage Elementary School
McDeeds Creek Elementary School
Robbins Elementary School
Crain's Creek Middle School
New Century Middle School
Pinehurst Elementary School
Highfalls Elementary School
Westmoore Elementary School
Sandhills Farm Life Elementary School
Union Pines High School
The Community Learning Center at Pinckney
Onslow County
Swansboro High School
Hunters Creek Middle School
Clyde Erwin Elementary Magnet School
Northwoods Elementary Magnet School of Technology and Innovation
Dixon Elementary School
Dixon Middle School
Heritage Elementary School of Richlands
Trexler Middle School
Richlands High School
Carolina Forest International Elementary School
Swansboro Middle School
Blue Creek Elementary School
Northwoods Park Middle School
Southwest elementary school
Swansboro Elementary School
Parkwood Elementary School
Jacksonville Commons Elementary School
Meadow View Elementary School
Sand Ridge Elementary School
Pender County
Surf City Middle School
Cape Fear Elementary School
West Pender Middle School
Rocky Point Elementary School
Surf City Elementary School
Penderlea School
South Topsail Elementary School
Heide Trask High School
C.F. Pope Elementary School
Topsail High School
Topsail Elementary School
North Topsail Elementary School
Cape Fear Middle School
Topsail Middle School
Burgaw Middle School
Malpass Corner Elementary School
Pender Early College High School
Pender High School
Polk County
Tryon Elementary School
Wayne County
Norwayne Middle School
Grantham Middle School
Wayne Early/Middle College High School
Mount Olive Middle School
Charles B. Aycock High School
Southern Wayne High School
Rosewood Middle School
Spring Creek Middle School
Grantham Elementary School
Tommy's Road Elementary School
Greenwood Middle School
Northwest Elementary School
Edgewood Community Developmental School
Spring Creek High School
Rosewood Elementary School
Eastern Wayne High School
Eastern Wayne Elementary School
Carver Elementary School
Brogden Middle School
North Drive Elementary School
Spring Creek Elementary School
Eastern Wayne Middle School
Carver Heights Elementary School
Fremont Stars Elementary School
Meadow Lane Elementary School
Northeast Elementary School
Brogden Primary School
Goldsboro High School
Wayne Middle High Academy
Wayne School of Engineering
Dillard Middle School
Rosewood High School
Whiteville City Schools
Whiteville Primary School
Edgewood Elementary School
Central Middle School
North Whiteville Academy
Whiteville High School