Photo By Paul Mann | Dr. Patrick Martin, superintendent of Trussville City Schools, shares some of his...... read more read more
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Jefferson County Alabama is home to more than 32,000 veterans, a combination of active duty, reserve component, and retirees, and their children attend Jefferson County schools. Military-connected students face hardships that many of their counterparts don’t, and sometimes these students need extra support. Hewitt-Trussville High School just delivered that support.
Hewitt-Trussville High School has been designated an Alabama Purple Star School, and more than 40 families will directly benefit from this designation. “There’s a lot of movement as you change from duty station to duty station,” said Mr. Aaron King, principal at Hewitt-Trussville, “and we have those things in mind to make sure they feel welcomed and part of our community.”
According to the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) a military-connected child can expect to move six to nine times from kindergarten through their high school graduation. This can impact a service members willingness to move or remain in the service if it means removing a child from a school or system multiple times.
Dr. Patrick Martin, superintendent of Trussville City Schools said, “My father was in the military as well [and] I went to three different high schools. I know what it’s like to go to a new school where you don’t know anybody and having something like Purple Star to support you is a big deal.”
According to the school’s web page, they have been working towards Purple Star designation for several months, using training resources provided by the MCEC. Hewitt-Trussville satisfied all of the required components, then chose to go above and beyond and partnered with a local military installation, Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base.
“Being part of this program, at the school where the kids of several of my Airmen attend, is huge,” said Col. Mike Adams, commander of the 117th Air Refueling Wing. “We have regular Air Force and Air National Guard families who call Trussville home, and having this level of local support makes all the difference in the world to these Airmen and their families.”
Ms. Rebecca Strange, office coordinator and bookkeeper at Hewitt-Trussville, led the committee to get the school designated as a Purple Star School. She and King previously worked together in the Huntsville (Ala.) City Schools at Huntsville High School, helping it be designated as a Purple Star School Program.
Ms. Strange said to the military families and students who attended today’s ceremony, “I know there are so many sacrifices that you make and if we can just be that friendly face, just know that we’re all there for you, for that reason – you’re the reason we are doing this.”
| Date Taken: | 04.22.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.22.2025 17:20 |
| Story ID: | 495924 |
| Location: | TRUISSVILLE, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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