Governor Greg Abbott has made a significant announcement for the Texas education community, declaring that 541 public schools in the state have received the prestigious Purple Star Campus Designation for the 2024-2025 academic year. The announcement, as reported by the Office of the Texas Governor website, stated that this number marks a 202% increase from the previous year, illustrating Texas schools' profound commitment to accommodating the needs of military-connected students and their families, a demographic nearing 200,000 within the state.
In a statement, Governor Abbott articulated Texas' enduring gratitude toward military families, emphasizing the state's intention to persistently support them. "Texas is forever grateful for the selfless sacrifice our brave veterans and their families made in service to our state and our nation," Governor Abbott said. "We will always support our heroes, including the hundreds of thousands of military-connected students attending our public schools across Texas, and this impressive 202% increase in designations demonstrates just that." He iterated that the Purple Star Campus Designation symbolizes schools' continued dedication to meet, clearly and substantially, the unique educational requirements of military-connected students.
The Purple Star Campus Designation program was formed as a result of Senate Bill 1557, signed into law by Governor Abbott in 2019. As per the guidelines, schools must meet stringent criteria, such as appointing a campus-based military liaison, creating a dedicated page on their website for military family resources, setting up a campus transition program, and fostering a military family assistance initiative. All public schools in Texas are eligible, and schools can apply annually. This accolade lasts for two years once bestowed.
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath also addressed the significance of the expansion of Purple Star Campus Designations. "The significant growth in Purple Star Campus Designations reflects the exceptional efforts of Texas schools to create a supportive environment for military-connected students," Morath said, as noted in a statement on the Office of the Texas Governor. "Our military families sacrifice so much, and it’s essential that our schools support their children in every way possible to ensure they have the best educational experience while in Texas public schools."
