Each April, we celebrate the Month of the Military Child to honor the strength, resilience and sacrifices of military-connected students. These incredible children serve in their own way — navigating frequent relocations, long separations from loved ones and the unique challenges of military life. While every military child’s journey is different, they are united by shared experiences that span the globe.
In Hillsborough County Public Schools, we are proud to support more than 4,000 military-connected students. Our schools play a vital role in ensuring these students receive the stability, encouragement and resources they need to thrive academically and emotionally.
Throughout April, our schools host special activities to recognize and celebrate military children. One of the most meaningful traditions is Purple Up! Day — a day when students, teachers and staff wear purple as a symbol of unity and support. Schools also organize assemblies, recognition ceremonies, classroom discussions and creative projects to highlight the sacrifices and contributions of military families.
Our commitment to military-connected students continues year-round. School counselors provide specialized support to ease transitions, whether students are adjusting to a new school or coping with a parent’s deployment. Additionally, we collaborate with MacDill Air Force Base and local military organizations to ensure families have access to essential resources.
Thanks to this strong support system, many of our schools have been designated as Florida Purple Star Campuses — a distinction awarded by the Florida Legislature to schools that go above and beyond to serve military families. In December 2024, we proudly added four more schools to our growing list: Sumner High School, Riverview High School, Kenneth E. Adum K-8 Magnet School, and Lithia Springs Elementary School. This brings our total to 25 Purple Star Schools! We are so proud of the work of our school communities to achieve this recognition.
I encourage our entire community to join us in recognizing the resilience of military children. Let’s Purple Up! on Friday, April 11, and honor the families who stand strong behind our service members every day.
To learn more the resources available to our military families visit www.hillsboroughschools.org/militaryfamilies.
