FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact:
Mike Murad, mmurad@sandi.net, 619-925-4790
Isa McNeil, imcneil@sandi.net, 619-341-2343
SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SUPPORTS STUDENTS OF MILITARY PARENTS & DELIVERS SERVICES TO THEIR FAMILIES
8,000 San Diego Unified students have at least one parent serving in the Armed Forces
11 new schools granted Purple Star designation by the State, 30 schools given designation since 2022
*For b-roll of news conference and military dog demonstration, click here. Please courtesy: San Diego Unified School District.
SAN DIEGO (APRIL 15, 2025) – Eight-thousand San Diego Unified School District students have at least one parent serving in the Armed Forces, and the District, in its effort to support students and their families, has invested important resources to support this unique population. This work has earned 30 schools the Purple Star designation by the State, and 11 of them were just awarded this prestigious distinction.
“It takes a great deal of sacrifice and courage to enlist in a military career, and every member of a military family plays a critical role in supporting one another,” said San Diego Unified Superintendent (Interim) Dr. Fabi Bagula. “Students of military-connected families face unique challenges, including the stress of a parental deployment or a reassignment to another part of the country or world. Our commitment is to support our students every step of the way.”
San Diego Unified partners with many organizations to provide services specifically for military families and students, including District representatives that specialize in enrollment, military school liaison officers, military family life counselors, and academic support counseling.
“As a staff member and mother of two children that have attended Dewey Elementary, I’ve seen first-hand the positive impacts that are being made in this school for military-connected kids and their families,” said Elloise Lovett, a Dewey Elementary paraeducator. “I’ve heard similar stories from other parents, and it’s rewarding to have our school recognized for a second time in California as a Purple Star school.”
In December, the District received a $1.5 million grant to enhance STEAM programs and social-emotional learning at military-connected schools. The District has three current Department of Defense Educational Activity awards totaling $5.5 million that have been planned and implemented by Children and Youth in Transition (CYT) Program Manager Dr. Michele Einspar and her team with a focus on math, STEAM, and world languages involving 25 schools in San Diego Unified.
April is Month of the Military Child and today at Dewey Elementary School a resource fair was held for military families, and the school honored Purple Up! Day, an annual opportunity to wear purple to show support for children from military-connected families. Dewey Elementary’s military-connected student population is 83%.
“Our military children are truly unsung heroes in our community, and today we celebrate their remarkable resilience and strength,” said Cody Petterson, San Diego Unified Board of Education President. “Military children develop exceptional adaptability skills that most adults would struggle to master. This helps to make them strong, resilient people, and it's our job to help them to see the strength these experiences can bring to their lives, and leverage it for their future.”
To help both students and military families, the district will host its annual enrollment and resource fair for military families later this summer on Saturday, August 2. More details to come on the time and place. The District has partnered with Support the Enlisted Project (STEP) to host the fair, and last year the District had almost 800 participants.
For efforts in being committed and equipped to “meet the unique needs of military-connected students and families,” the 11 San Diego Unified schools were recently highlighted by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond as Purple Star schools.
A total of 30 District schools have received the Purple Star recognition from the State since the program began in 2022, including five that have now been singled out twice.
List of San Diego Unified Purple Star Schools:
- Angier Elementary School (2023)
- Cabrillo Elementary School (2022)
- Canyon Hills High School (2022, 2025)
- Challenger Middle School (2025)
- Chesterton Elementary School (2023)
- Correia Middle School (2023)
- Crown Point Junior Music Academy (2023)
- Dana Middle School (2022, 2025)
- De Portola Middle School (2024)
- Dewey Elementary School (2022, 2025)
- Farb Middle School (2025)
- Hage Elementary School (2022)
- Hancock Elementary School (2023)
- Hickman Elementary School (2024)
- Jonas Salk Elementary School (2022)
- Jones Elementary School (2024)
- Kate Sessions Elementary School (2022, 2025)
- Loma Portal Elementary School (2023)
- Mason Elementary School (2025)
- Miller Elementary School (2022, 2025)
- Mira Mesa High School (2025)
- Montgomery Middle School (2022, 2025)
- Pacific Beach Middle School (2025)
- Perry Elementary School (2024)
- Point Loma High School (2023)
- Sandburg Elementary School (2023)
- Taft Middle School (2023)
- Vista Grande Elementary School (2024)
- Walker Elementary School (2024)
- Wangenheim Middle School (2023)
To learn more about services and resources for military-connected families and students at San Diego Unified schools, click here.
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Thanks,
Mike
Mike Murad
Public Information Coordinator
San Diego Unified School District
mmurad@sandi.net | www.sandiegounified.org
Mobile Phone: 619-925-4790
4100 Normal Street, San Diego, CA 92103
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