TAMPA, Fla. — On average, military children move every two to three years. The Purple Star Award recognizes schools that show a major commitment to students and families connected to the military. Schools that earn the award receive a special Purple Star recognition to display on site.

It’s not always easy getting settled into a new school and routine. 

For the first time, the state of Florida has designated 114 schools in 10 counties to be recognized as Purple Star Campuses in support of military families. Spectrum News asked Lanier Elementary School’s principal, Kevin Moon, to weigh in on how this initiative can help children as they move from duty station to duty station. 

“We’re right in the shadow of MacDill Air Force Base so we do get quite a few families that join us, we have coalition partners that are on sight from various countries around the world and just having that distinction shows our commitment to military families here in Hillsborough County,” Moon said.

Having worked in education for nearly two decades, he understands the challenges for military families. 

“Some of the struggles our military families have are just having that sense of community and that sense of feel of being able to call a school ‘home’,” he said.

That’s why Lanier Elementary applied for the Purple Star School of Distinction earlier this year. 

Out of 380 students, 40 are from military families.

“We have our military life counselor for Lanier listed here as a person of contact,” Moon said as he scrolled through the school’s website.

The first thing a family will notice is a section of the website dedicated to helping service members find resources.

“Once the student enrolls here on campus, we have student leaders who are able to help and assist and they take action and take those students around and give them tours, they created little welcome kits for our families,” Moon said.

The school also highlights annual military recognition events like “Month of the Military Child” and Veterans Day. 

Parents are encouraged to volunteer.

“Most of our board members on Lanier PTA are active service members in the military. So they do have an opportunity to connect and make sure the students here feel Lanier is home to them,” said Moon.