Reston schools including South Lakes High School, Langston Hughes Middle School and Stone Middle School helped Fairfax County Public Schools become Virginia's largest Purple Star School Division.

FCPS earned the designation after every one of its 200-plus schools and centers met the requirements of the Purple Star program, which recognizes support for military-connected students and families. Superintendent Michelle Reid announced the milestone at an FCPS School Board meeting the week of Oct. 5, according to her weekly reflections post.

More than 12,600 military-connected students are enrolled in the district, and nearly one-third of military families move into or out of FCPS each year, district records show.

FCPS is the only division of its size in Virginia to reach 100%.

In September 2024, just 69 FCPS schools held the designation. Reid set a goal to bring every school on board by the 2026-27 school year. By October 2025, 145 schools qualified, including South Lakes and Langston Hughes as first-time recipients. The final push brought every remaining campus into the program.

Stone Middle School was among the newest recipients, recognized at the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact's Wednesday, Oct. 7 meeting. Sunrise Valley Elementary School earned the designation three consecutive years through fall 2025.

To qualify, each school must designate a staff point of contact who has completed state training, ensure at least 70% of staff complete training on military-connected students' needs every three years, and run a student-led transition program. FCPS calls its version the Student Ambassador Program, pairing military and civilian peers to support students adjusting to a new school.

"When a family member serves in the military, everyone in the family serves," Reid said in the district's announcement. "This designation highlights our commitment to supporting each and every military-connected student and family as they enter or return to our school division."

Reid, herself a military-connected child and the mother of a Marine, spoke at the district's second annual Military Families Welcome BBQ at Lake Braddock Secondary School in September.

A Fairfax County Veterans and Military Families Commission survey found that military families with children in FCPS reported below 50% satisfaction on most education metrics, including military-connected resources, according to Board of Supervisors materials. The Purple Star push was already underway at the time of the survey.

The designation lasts three years, and schools must reapply to keep it.