San Diego County schools earn 2026 Purple Star recognition for military-connected students and families support

County schools receive statewide designation tied to military-family supports

Dozens of San Diego County schools have been recognized in 2026 for programs designed to support students from military families, as part of California’s Purple Star School Designation Program. The statewide recognition this year covers 75 schools, bringing the total number of Purple Star schools in California to 202 since the program began in 2023.

San Diego County accounted for more than half of the schools newly designated in 2026, reflecting the region’s large military presence and the steady demand for school-based supports that help students manage frequent moves, caregiver deployments, and transitions into new communities.

What the Purple Star designation recognizes

The Purple Star designation is awarded to schools that demonstrate they are prepared to meet the needs of military-connected students and families through specific transition practices and points of contact on campus. While requirements vary by program cycle, the designation generally emphasizes structures that make school enrollment, records transfers, and student integration more predictable when families relocate.

In practical terms, schools seeking the designation commonly formalize a staff role responsible for coordinating supports for military-connected students, maintain accessible information for incoming families, and implement measures intended to reduce disruption to a student’s academic progress and social-emotional well-being.

• Identified campus contacts who can coordinate support for military-connected students
• Transition and enrollment assistance aimed at minimizing delays during school changes
• Schoolwide efforts that help new students connect quickly to peers and services
• Communication practices tailored to families managing relocations and deployments

Why the recognition matters in San Diego County

San Diego County’s concentration of military installations and related communities means local schools routinely serve students whose schooling is shaped by mobility and family service obligations. For schools, that can translate into a need for repeatable intake processes, counseling access, and staff training that anticipates the challenges of arriving mid-year or during key testing and graduation milestones.

The Purple Star designation functions as a public signal that a school has organized systems intended to address those challenges, and it offers families a way to identify campuses that have committed staff time and planning to military-connected student needs.

How designations are maintained over time

The Purple Star designation is not treated as permanent. Schools apply and, in recurring cycles, must reapply to remain in the program. That structure is intended to ensure that schools maintain the staffing roles and practices associated with the designation as personnel and student populations change.

Recognition programs like Purple Star are structured around measurable school practices—such as designated points of contact and transition supports—rather than student outcomes alone.

The 2026 designations add to a multi-year trend of San Diego County schools participating in the statewide program, as districts and county education leaders continue to formalize supports for military-connected students in classrooms across the region.