Skip To Main Content

Purple Star School

 

purple bar

A Purple Star School designation lets military parents know, whether they are on active duty or in the National Guard and Reserves, that a school is dedicated to helping their child gain educational skills necessary to be college-workforce- and life-ready. It signals that a school also supports the social and emotional well-being of military kids adjusting to new schools and the absence of a parent during deployment.

military parents holding child with flag
military family sitting on the grass
military family

 

  The primary goal of these programs is to ensure that staff can help manage the academic requirements and planning challenges military-connected children face when they move between different schools. These schools also seek to accommodate students who may have missed out on the normal cycles of sports and club activities. Finally, these schools acknowledge that every military-connected child has left behind friends and support networks and may be dealing with a parent who is away from home on deployment. 

 

purple bar

 

 A Purple Star School Program offers the School District the following benefits:

  • District 11 honors the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.
  • Communities with Purple Star Schools can help retain bases and attract military families who bring economic benefits to local communities.
  • Purple Star Schools foster diverse, inclusive and supportive school environments through their initiatives and training, which serve all students, regardless of military connections. 

Join the Jenkins Family today!

Enrollment, registration, and transfer records information can be found at the following link.

Enrollment

Academic offerings can be found in our course catalog along with the information listed on our Academic webpages.  Information about our Gifted & Talented program and the Gifted & Talented Academy can be found below.  All resources are linked below.

Course Catalog

Academics

Gifted & Talented/GTA

Counseling and other support services are available to all of our students.  Information can be found at the following link.

Student Services/Counseling

Contact Us!

Melissa Baxter
Purple Star School Based Liaison at Jenkins Middle School

Contact Mrs. Baxter at the below email that is linked.

Melissa.Baxter@d11.org


What is a Purple Star School Based Liaison?

A dedicated staff member at a designated Purple Star School, primarily responsible for acting as the main point of contact between the school and military-connected students and their families, identifying their needs, coordinating support services, and ensuring they receive appropriate academic and social-emotional support during transitions due to frequent moves or deployments, all while raising awareness within the school about the unique challenges faced by military families.