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