The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) announced the school districts and individual school buildings that earned the 2025 Missouri Purple Star designation – the fourth round of designees in this statewide program.

Multiple Sedalia School District 200 schools earned the designation, including Heber Hunt Elementary, Horace Mann Elementary, Loftus Early Childhood Center, Parkview Elementary, Sedalia Middle School, Skyline Elementary, Smith-Cotton Junior High, and Washington Elementary.

Smith-Cotton High School earned the designation last year.

The 2025 Purple Star designees are invited to be recognized at the Month of the Military Child Kickoff event at 10 a.m. April 1 in the Capitol Rotunda, hosted by the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission and DESE.

The Purple Star School designation is awarded to military-friendly local education agencies (LEAs) that have demonstrated a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military – including active duty, National Guard or Reserve members, and military veterans. LEAs that earn this designation will receive a special Purple Star recognition to display onsite and on the school district website.