Committee approves Purple Star School rule amendment to clarify annual training

The Law & Licensing Committee approved amendments to R277‑929 (State Council on Military Children/Purple Star Schools) on first reading and forwarded the rule to the full board for second and final reading.

Director Ben Rasmussen, who leads Law and Professional Practices, told the committee the substantive change clarifies that Purple Star School professional development should occur annually, reflecting stakeholder feedback from school teams implementing the program. Cassie Hayes, cited as the parent engagement specialist who will run the program going forward, attended to answer operational questions.

Committee members asked whether annual training would be a condition of maintaining Purple Star designation. Rasmussen said schools are required to file an annual report demonstrating compliance and the rule would allow removal of the designation if a school failed to meet requirements. He described the expected training as a brief (about 15 minutes) reminder at a staff meeting.

Board member Hall said annual reminders are important in her region because large military communities rely on steady implementation of supports for military‑connected students. The committee first voted unanimously to remove a redundant instance of the word "annually" from line 84 of the draft and then voted unanimously to approve R277‑929, as amended, on first reading.

The Purple Star School program recognizes schools that take steps to support military families during student transitions, including staff training, designated liaisons and family engagement efforts. Director Rasmussen and staff said the amendment is intended to make the training frequency explicit rather than to add onerous new requirements.