Area’s military support highlighted by awards

Local schools receive more than 40 percent of state’s Purple Stars.

Fourteen local schools and school districts have been given “Purple Star” awards for their dedication to military families, giving the area more than 40 percent of the awards earned statewide.

Thirteen individual local schools and the Wayne Local School District in Waynesville received the designation from the Purple Star Advisory Board earlier this month. A total of 33 schools and districts across the state were given the honor.

More than 34,000 Ohio children have one or more parents serving in the military, according to the Ohio Department of Education. The Dayton area contains a large number of such families because of the prominence of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Districts in Fairborn and Huber Heights now have Purple Heart Awards for each of their buildings.

“We’ve been a military school district for a long time,” Fairborn

City Schools spokesperson Pamela Gayheart said. “Kids come in and they’re pretty easily accepted.”

Gayheart said it was important for Fairborn, which is located close to Wright-Patt, to be military friendly.

In order to receive the two-year designation, schools must provide a staff point of contact between military families and the school, provide resources for military families on its website and more optional activities, according to the Ohio Department of Education. Optional activities can include special recognition events, school board resolutions to publicize the district’s resources or providing additional professional development and staff resources.

This round of awards was Ohio’s third. The program began in 2017 as a joint effort by the Ohio departments of Education, Higher Education, Veterans Services and Adjutant General to acknowledge schools that go above and beyond to support military families.

“A supportive school environment can have a signif- icant impact on our mili- mentary School, was among tary-connected students, the first Purple Star schools and we’re happy to see such in 2017. a great interest in this desig“I feel like Mad River nation by Ohio’s schools,” Schools has done the work, said State Superintendent not just to say that they of Public Instruction Paolo appreciate and welcome DeMaria. “These Purple Star military families, but that schools provide our chil- they’ve gone out of their dren and families with the way to show it,” Tolbert said. resources they need to be Tolbert, who is originally successful. We’re thankful from California, moved to for their service and hon- Dayton when her husband, ored to continue the importa tech sergeant and soonant work of improving ser- to-be master sergeant, was vices for Ohio’s military fam- assigned to Wright-Patterilies.” son. She said school sup

The designation means port can help mitigate some schools do more than just of the challenges military say they welcome military families face. families, said Jasmine Tol“Deployment and any bert, whose husband is an type of separation between Airman. a military member and their

Tolbert’s five children, family is always looming,” whose ages range from 6 to Tolbert said.

16, attend Mad River School

District. One of the district’s schools, Beverly Garden Ele-