Purple Star School Program. The Purple Star School program is designated to respond to the educational and social-emotional challenges military connected children face.  State-sponsored Purple Star School programs primarily designate schools as military friendly once they demonstrate a major commitment to military connected students and families.  Multiple states have enacted the Purple Star School program. 

Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. In 2009, Washington adopted the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (Compact) for public schools.  The purpose of the Compact is to remove barriers to educational success imposed on children of military families.  The Compact addresses student placement, on-time graduation, enforcement of administrative rules, and flexibility and cooperation within the educational system.

The Purple Star Designation is created to recognize school districts that demonstrate educational and social-emotional support to students of military service members as they face transitions to a new school.  The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) may collaborate with a state agency or a non-profit organization that has experience serving the needs of a diverse K to 12 population to establish and administer the Purple Star Designation.  The Purple Star Designation must be awarded every two years starting in 2024, and qualifying school districts will receive a purple star recognition to display on site. 

A school district must be considered if it applies and completes all the required activities, and at least one of the optional activities.  To be considered for the Purple Star Designation, a school district must: 

• have a staff point of contact for military students and families who works jointly with the state military education liaison, completes professional development on special considerations for military students and families under relevant state and federal law, and identifies and informs of any special considerations for military connected students; and 
• maintains a dedicated webpage featuring resources for military families. 

The optional activities are: 

• having professional development for additional staff on special consideration for military students and families;
• the school district board of directors passes a resolution publicizing the schools support for military children and families; or
• the school district hosts a military recognition event that demonstrates a military friendly culture.

OSPI must make the following information available on its website:

• a simple application for a school district to submit for consideration, including evidence of meeting the requirements;
• a timeline for submittal and announcement of the recipients; and
• the criteria being used to review applications and determine which school districts receive the designation.

The committee recommended a different version of the bill than what was heard.  PRO:  Military children from any branch would support this initiative, as many states already do. This is important for the social and emotional wellbeing for military kids that move on average six to nine times. We support the purple star designation and want to make sure families with exceptional family members are seen and valued in our public schools in Washington.