COLUMBIA, S.C. (SCDVA) - South Carolina is continuing the national effort to ensure military-connected children are given the academic and social-emotional support needed when relocating to schools in the Palmetto State.
On Tuesday, March 26, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster along with South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs (SCDVA) Secretary Todd McCaffrey, South Carolina Department of Education Superintendent Ellen Weaver, and leaders from school districts around the state gathered to proclaim April as the Month of the Military Child in South Carolina. State leaders emphasized the role of Purple Star Schools in South Carolina in partnership with the Military Child Education Coalition.
Currently there are 12 Purple Star School Districts and one Purple Star School in the state. Those include:
- Aiken County
- Richland 2
- Kershaw County
- Sumter County
- Richland 1
- Charleston County
- Berkeley County
- Edgefield County
- Beaufort County
- Anderson 1
- Dorchester 2
- Horry County
- Liberty STEAM Charter School
"We in South Carolina are so proud of our military families and our military students. Our commitment to you is that we are going to work all day, every day to continue to make this the very best state in the country for our military families, especially when it comes to education," said SC Dept. of Education Superintendent Ellen Weaver. "We know that when someone is stationed here, we have to ensure that they have confidence in the school that they're sending their most treasured possession, their children, and that is our commitment."
Month of the Military Child honors and celebrates military children for their service, commitment, and sacrifice, underscoring the important role that they play in their communities across South Carolina.
"Like others from military families, my three children grew up moving every two to three years. Changing schools, making new friends and dealing with the challenges that arose from a lifestyle that they did not choose but is one that was chosen for them," said SCDVA Secretary Todd B. McCaffrey. "That is the ongoing experience of military children across our state and our nation. Our attention on military children in April helps us focus on ways to reduce the obstacles and find the positives in a lifestyle to which more than a million and a half participate across our nation."
A military-connected child can expect to move six to nine times from kindergarten through their high school graduation, with approximately 200,000 students transitioning to a new school in any given year. America’s military-connected children experience academic and social-emotional challenges as they relocate to new schools due to a parent’s change in duty station. These transitions create challenges since schools often have differing cultures, curricula, standards, course offerings, schedules, and graduation requirements. This has the potential to impact military readiness by degrading retention of service members.
"I think about these military children moving so often while they are growing up," said Governor Henry McMaster. "I look at these children full of promise and great futures and some folks go to the fortune teller to see the future, well I think we can see our future right here when we look at these children. They are our future."
The non-profit Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) is the national advocate for Purple Star Schools, a grassroots initiative that encourages states and school districts to establish Purple Star School programs. These programs award Purple Star School designation to K-12 schools within the state or district that have committed to supporting military-connected children through specific measures. The primary goal of the programs is to ensure staff can help manage the academic requirements and planning challenges military-connected children face when they move between different schools.
To learn more about the Military Child Education Coalition and Purple Star Schools visit militarychild.org/purplestarschools.