A Star is Born: How Arizona Became a Beacon for Military Families Through the Purple Star School Program
Arizona is the newest Purple Star School state, thanks to the advocacy and legislative efforts of our very own Founding Partner Melissa Rueschhoff. Purple Star Schools stand apart from other schools for their recognition and support of military children, their unique circumstances, and their unique needs.
The journey began with Ms. Rueschhoff’s revelation at the CAPSTONE conference in Washington D.C. in May 2023, that 38 of our 50 states had some form of Purple Star School legislation, and Arizona was not one of them. At the time, Ms. Rueschhoff was a licensed Arizona attorney, with an active-duty military spouse commanding the largest fighter wing in the United States Air Force, and with children attending a charter school in the local Phoenix West Valley community. She was shocked that this designation, a symbol of excellence in supporting military children, was absent in one of the states that needed it the most.
Arizona is home to ten (10) military installations, 503 schools with military-affiliated students, and 46,000 military-affiliated students. The United States military has a $15.6 billion economic impact in Arizona.
Purple Star Schools is a program supporting military-connected children as they relocate to new schools due to a parent’s change in duty station. Military children move every two to three years. The Purple Star School program is designed to help schools respond to the educational and social challenges military-connected children face during their transition to a new school and keep them on track to be college, workforce, and life-ready.
A Purple Star School has four key tenets that are designed to ease the challenges faced by military children due to their highly mobile lifestyle:
- Peer-to-peer programs for seamless integration into new communities,
- Dedicated military liaisons on campus,
- Accessible online resources for transitioning military families, and
- Comprehensive professional development for educators and administrators.
The spark ignited at the CAPSTONE conference led to Ms. Rueschhoff engaging on two fronts.
First, she established a pilot program in Arizona, particularly in the Phoenix West Valley around Luke Air Force Base, with the support of four local school districts, the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, and various community networks. This pilot program marked the beginning of a new chapter for military families in the area.
Parallel to this initiative, Ms. Rueschhoff drafted legislation to codify the Purple Star School program in Arizona law. This legislative effort, encapsulated in Arizona House Bill (HB2246), aimed to make support for military children a permanent fixture in Arizona’s educational landscape. This bill saw remarkable progress through the legislative process, receiving unanimous support at every stage, from the House Education Committee to the Senate Education Committee, and both chambers as a whole.
On Monday, April 8, 2024, Governor Katie Hobbs signed the Purple Star School bill into law. April is the Month of the Military Child – or Purple Up month – so, the timely signing of this bill is worth celebrating. Luke AFB will host Governor Hobbs for a ceremonial signing, surrounded by military installation commanders, school district superintendents, military families, and community partners.
This journey has been a testament to the power of community, collaboration, and bipartisan support in addressing the needs of military families. It highlights the importance of recognizing the sacrifices made by military personnel and their families and ensuring their children receive the support they need to thrive in their educational pursuits. We are proud that one of our Holon Law Partners Founders saw a need, took action, and “left the world a better place,” as is her motto.
As Arizona moves forward with this initiative, it sets a precedent for other states to follow, showcasing the positive impact of legislative action in support of military families. The success of the Purple Star School program in Arizona is a beacon of hope and a model of how targeted efforts can make a significant difference in the lives of those who serve our country.
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