SAN DIEGO, CA — Five Poway Unified schools have been awarded 2026 Purple Star designations by the California Department of Education.
Purple Star designation indicates schools that have demonstrated a high level of meeting the unique needs of students and families in our military community. This year, the state awarded 75 designations to schools.
In Poway Unified, Black Mountain Middle School, Chaparral Elementary School, Midland Elementary School, Mt. Carmel High School, and Sunset Hills Elementary School were honored for their commitment to our military-connected students and families.
Mia Rasmussen, an MCHS student, helped emcee the San Diego County Office of Education's Salute to Purple Star Schools event on March 19, celebrating the county's 2026 Purple Star schools and vital resources they provide to military students and families.
“I am very grateful to be part of a school that places so much importance in meeting the needs of military-dependent children,” Rasmussen says. “Being the child of a service member presents its own unique challenges, but because of Purple Star schools like ours, military-connected students don't just adjust–they thrive.”
The Purple Star program highlights schools that have reduced the educational burden on military students and families by offering critical transition supports, increasing accessibility to resources, and incorporating student-led transition opportunities.
Purple Star recognition is valid for three years. Other PUSD schools that currently hold a Purple Star designation include Creekside Elementary School (2025), Twin Peaks Middle School (2025), and Bernardo Heights Middle School (2024).