Special to 1808Delaware
The Ohio Department of Education has announced that 31 Ohio schools will receive the coveted Purple Star Award this school year.
Two of those schools are in the Delaware City School District — Woodward Elementary and Dempsey Middle School.
The Purple Star designation recognizes schools that demonstrate a significant commitment to serving students and families connected to the United States armed forces. The list of new statewide awardees is available on the Ohio Department of Education’s Purple Star School webpage.
To receive the Purple Star Award, a school must designate a liaison to strengthen relationships between military-connected students and their families, as well as maintain a dedicated page on its website featuring resources for military families.
Approximately 34,000 Ohio students, including the children of active duty, reserve and Ohio National Guard families, have one or more parents serving in the military. Some of these students will attend six to nine different schools between kindergarten and grade 12. Military-connected children also can be affected by a parent’s deployment. Schools can help students and families face these issues by connecting them with the resources they need.