SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on March 13 announced that 83 schools have been designated as a Purple Star School in 2025, bringing the total number of California schools recognized with this honor to 179 since the program's inception in 2023. 

The California Purple Star School Designation Program (Purple Star Program) seeks to reduce the burden on military-connected students and their families by articulating the most critical transition supports available. The Purple Star Program is a way to publicly recognize and designate schools that meet certain requirements, and signals which schools are the most committed and best equipped to meet the unique needs of these students and their families.

The Purple Star Program was designed to help mitigate the challenges of high mobility by setting standards for and publicly designating military-friendly schools.

“Congratulations to the educators, staff, administrators, parents, and students at these schools,” said Thurmond. “These schools are crucial to supporting our military-connected students, ensuring that they maintain their academic, college, and career aspirations while their parents serve our country.”

Regional Purple Star Schools are Barry Elementary, Yuba City Unified in Sutter County; Compass Charter School of Yolo, Winters Joint Unified in Yolo County; and Bear River, Lone Tree Elementary, Wheatland Charter Academy and Wheatland Union High, all from Wheatland in Yuba County.