Northeastern Wayne School Corporation is taking steps to provide extra support for children of military service members.
The school board agreed to provide a “trained point of contact” to offer support services for military families. In passing a Purple Star Resolution, the board acknowledged that students in some military families sometimes attend six to nine schools between kindergarten and 12th grade.
“[F]requent moves, family separation through deployments and reintegration issues present unique challenges to military families,” the resolution states.
The Purple Star School program is a national designation that many states have adopted. In Indiana, the Department of Education recognizes schools that have an assigned point of contact who meets training requirements and a school board resolution of support; a dedicated webpage for service members; an annual military program; a public military display; and offers employment opportunities for military family members.
Kelly Plank, the corporation’s director of curriculum and instruction, has led work to ensure those requirements are met and will probably be the point of contact, said Matthew Hicks, superintendent.
A 2023 list of the 102 Purple Star schools in Indiana published by IDOE includes none from Wayne County. Certification, which will be announced in November, lasts three years.
In other business on July 17, the board finalized details of a $5.5 million bond sale which will finance renovation projects, including work to replace or seal brickwork that is allowing water to leak into part of the high school building.
The board’s next meeting will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, in the student services building, 7299 U.S. 27 N., Fountain City. The public may attend.
A version of this article appeared in the August 7 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.