Howard County Elementary Named A Purple Star School By Maryland Education Department

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — An elementary school in Howard County is among eight schools being named a Purple Star School by the Maryland State Department of Education for their services and support to students from military families.

The honorees include three from Anne Arundel County, two from Queen Anne’s County and one each from Calvert, Howard and St. Mary’s counties:

• Bellows Springs Elementary School, Howard County Public School System
• Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary School, St. Mary’s County Public Schools
• Kent Island High School, Queen Anne’s County Public Schools
• MacArthur Middle School, Anne Arundel County Public Schools
• Meade High School, Anne Arundel County Public Schools
• Mt. Harmony Elementary School, Calvert County Public Schools
• Queen Anne’s County High School, Queen Anne’s County Public Schools
• West Meade Early Education Center, Anne Arundel County Public Schools

“Students whose family members serve in the armed forces have unique needs,” said Carey M. Wright, interim state superintendent of schools. “School communities that go above and beyond to address their needs and create a welcoming environment deserve this recognition. We salute our first Purple Star Schools and look forward to bringing others into the fold.”

Criteria for the Purple Star Schools designation includes identifying a staff member as the point of contact for newly-enrolled military connected students and their families; providing easily accessible digital resources and a student-led program to help ease the transition; and offering appropriate staff training and professional development.

These eight schools will maintain the Purple Star Schools designation through the 2024-2025 academic year. Maryland, which implemented the Purple Star Schools Program in 2023, joined 37 other states in this nationwide initiative.