RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Public Instruction recognized 299 schools with Purple Star awards this month.
The Purple Star award program was launched by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) in 2019 with a purpose of recognizing “the state’s strong military presence and its support for military families.” The award is presented to schools that have proven military-friendly practices and that have shown a commitment to military students and their families.
Recipients this year include five charter schools and seven Department of Defense Education Agency (DODEA) schools located in 15 districts across the state. Details about the Purple Star award and a full list of the 2021-22 schools receiving the award can be found on the NCDPI website under the menu item “students and families.”
According to an NCDPI press release, 10 districts will be given the State Superintendent’s Purple Star District Award. Districts receiving that award include DODEA Camp Lejeune Schools, Carteret County Schools, Craven County Schools, Cumberland County Schools, Harnett County Schools, Hoke County Schools, Moore County Schools, Pender County Schools, Wayne County Public Schools and Whiteville City Schools.
“As a mother of three public school students and a military spouse, I am all too familiar with the challenges military families face in education,” State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said in a statement. “It’s absolutely incredible to see almost 300 North Carolina Public Schools earn the Purple Star designation and a testament to our state’s commitment to serving every student and family. These schools are going above and beyond to meet the needs of military students and families, and I know firsthand how much it means to them.”
For the 2020-2021 school year there were 288 schools, including five charter schools and seven Department of Defense Education Agency schools, that received the award.
Four charter schools and 126 traditional schools in 10 North Carolina districts were recognized as Purple Star schools for the 2019-2020 school year.
