Shadow Ridge High School became the second school in the Dysart district to be named a Purple Star School in Arizona for their strong support of military families.  

A Purple Star School Candidate designation indicates that a school is committed to supporting the unique needs for military-connected children by providing staff and programs to support students during their school transitions or deployment. Criteria to meet this designation include: 

• Designated staff point of contact for military students and families 
• A student transition program 
• Dedicated web page with resources for military families 
• Professional development for staff (70%) that helps familiarize and equip them to support the needs of military students 

Shadow Ridge High School hosted a celebration ceremony and ribbon cutting on Jan. 21 to announce the news to the students, parents and staff. The school and district have had numerous partnerships in place with neighboring Luke Air Force Base for many years due to the proximity to the base and high number of military families served. 

Currently, Shadow Ridge High School has a Student Ambassador program, where students are trained to become leaders within the school community.  Ambassadors play a key role in supporting military-connected students transitioning to Shadow Ridge, organizing quarterly Military-Connected Meet and Greets, and volunteering at various school events throughout the year.

Quarterly themed Meet and Greet activities will take place throughout the year, and in April, the Month of the Military Child will be recognized and celebrated throughout the school. While there has been strong staff support at the school previously, school staff received specific Purple Star School support training in October.  

Shadow Ridge’s designation follows Luke Elementary School, which was the first Purple Star School in the state of Arizona and the Dysart district.