Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and School Principals:

2021–22 California Purple Star Program

The California Department of Education (CDE) is pleased to announce the California Purple Star Program. The Purple Star Program is a way to publicly recognize and designate schools that are the most committed and best equipped to meet the unique needs of military-connected students and their families. 

The Purple Star Program supports military-connected children as they relocate to new schools due to a parent’s change in duty station. By setting standards and publicly designating military-friendly schools, the Purple Star Program helps schools respond to the educational and social-emotional challenges military-connected children face during their transition to a new school and keep them on track to be college, workforce, and life-ready. The Purple Star Program’s true value derives from its potential to:

• Centralize and make knowledge accessible,
• Develop stakeholder networks, and
• Support schools in cultivating and communicating cultural competency in supporting military-connected families.

Application materials and instructions on how to apply for this designation are available on the CDE Purple Star web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/pf/mc/capurplestar.asp.

If you have any questions regarding the Purple Star Program, please contact the High School Innovations and Initiatives Office at 916-319-0893 or PurpleStar@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction