LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Pulaski County Special School District was formally recognized as a Purple Star School District during April’s Board of Education meeting. The presentation marked a milestone for PCSSD, as the district has now earned the Purple Star School District designation.
Michelle Camp, director of Career Education and District Military Education coordinator, opened the presentation and welcomed Terri Williams, School Liaison Program manager for Little Rock Air Force Base, who presented the district’s official Purple Star banner and congratulated PCSSD for its commitment to military‑connected students.
“When Michelle decided this was going to be her goal, boom, boom, boom — everybody got on board, and you’re now a Purple Star District,” Williams said.
Williams said this achievement made her especially proud because, even though she represents the state, she and her children are products of PCSSD. She also emphasized the impact of the designation, explaining that Purple Star Schools are highlighted to incoming military families as campuses that “go above and beyond” to support students facing frequent moves, transitions, and deployment‑related challenges.
“Family readiness equals mission readiness,” Williams noted. “Pulaski County Special School District now makes sure that their family is mission-ready, and I applaud that.”
(Terri Williams, School Liaison Program manager for Little Rock Air Force Base, presenting during the PCSSD Board of Education meeting.)
With becoming a Purple Star District, each PCSSD school will receive its own Purple Star School banner and a copy of The World Needs More Purple Star Schools as part of the statewide recognition effort.
Across Arkansas, more than 6,500 military children navigate the realities of frequent moves, new classrooms, and the uncertainty that comes with having a parent in uniform. The Purple Star School program helps ensure every military‑connected student has a point of contact, access to resources, and a school community trained to understand their unique needs. From transition support to family engagement, Purple Star Schools create stability for students whose lives are often defined by change.
Arkansas now supports more than 240 Purple Star Schools and 25 Purple Star School Districts, placing the state among national leaders in military‑family support. Arkansas is one of only two states with fully enacted, DoD‑aligned policies for military‑connected students.