Twelve Loudoun County public schools have been designated as Purple Star Schools by the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, recognizing their strong support for military-connected students and their families. These schools are among 288 schools from across the Commonwealth that have been honored this year.
At LCPS, Purple Star Schools implement programs, staff training and community engagement to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of students navigating school transitions or family deployments.
“I’m incredibly proud of our division’s ongoing commitment to supporting military-connected students,” said Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence. “Earning the Purple Star designation is both an honor and a reflection of the compassion, dedication, and inclusive spirit that define LCPS.”
This year’s LCPS Purple Star honorees includes seven schools earning the designation for the first time, four schools being recognized for the second time and one school – Trailside – earning this recognition for the third time. The 2025–26 Purple Star schools are listed below, with two asterisks (**) indicating a second award and three asterisks (***) indicating a third.
Ashburn Elementary School
Belmont Ridge Middle School **
Elaine E. Thompson Elementary School
John Champe High School
Lightridge High School
Madison’s Trust Elementary School **
Seneca Ridge Middle School
Stone Hill Middle School **
R.I.S.E. Academy
Trailside Middle School ***
Watson Mountain Middle School
Willard Middle School **
The Purple Star designation remains valid for three years. In addition to the schools that received the Purple Star designation or redesignation this year, 13 LCPS schools were designated as Purple Star Schools in previous years. The year of the school’s most recent designation is in parentheses:
Brambleton Middle School (2024-2027)
Broad Run High School (2024-2027)
Cardinal Ridge Elementary School (2023-2026)
Independence High School (2024-2027)
Legacy Elementary School (2023-2026)
Little River Elementary School (2024-2027)
J. Michael Lunsford Middle School (2023-2026)
River Bend Middle School (2024-2027)
Riverside High School (2023-2026)
Rock Ridge High School (2023-2026)
Smart’s Mill Middle School (2024-2027)
Stone Bridge High School (2024-2027)
John W. Tolbert Elementary School (2024-2027)
Read more about LCPS’ commitment to military-connected families. For more information about Virginia’s Purple Star Schools, visit the VDOE website.