Purple Star School

Agua Fria High School District (AFHSD) is proud to have Millennium High School (MHS) named as one of Arizona's first Purple Star Schools, recognizing its strong support of military families.  

Military families face a distinctive set of challenges, particularly in the quest for suitable school districts when they relocate. Understanding this, in August 2023, AFHSD met with Luke Air Force Base to explore collaborative solutions aimed at making school transitions smoother for students from military families.

The gathering encompassed a roundtable dialogue, delving into subjects like relocation, adaptation to new educational environments, and the unique hurdles confronted by military children. It was agreed that some of these challenges could be alleviated through initiatives such as the Purple Star School program. The Purple Star School initiative is crafted to aid schools in addressing the educational and social-emotional difficulties encountered by highly mobile students when transitioning to new schools. The primary goal is to ensure these students remain on track for success in college, the workforce, and life. 

To earn the Purple Star School designation, schools must meet specific criteria, including:

• A designated staff member serving as the primary contact for military students and their families
• A program involving peer-to-peer mentoring, which involves the careful selection of a student by school leadership and provides them with training on becoming a peer mentor
• A dedicated webpage containing a wealth of resources tailored to military families
• Training and development opportunities for staff (70%) designed to acquaint and prepare them for better assisting the needs of military students

Military families come from all walks of life, different cultures, and different places. Having MHS as a designated Purple Star School provides students from a military family with an educational choice that helps create a pathway to a successful future. 

If you are a military connected student or if you would like information on how to join the Peer2Peer program to mentor military connected students, please email jfemiak@aguafria.org.