Forest City Schools Earn Purple Star Honors; Area Districts Recognized Across Iowa

FOREST CITY, Iowa — All three schools in the Forest City Community School District have been recognized among Iowa’s first-ever Purple Star Schools, a new statewide designation honoring efforts to support military-connected students and their families.

Forest City Elementary School, Forest City Middle School and Forest City High School were among 17 schools across Iowa to receive the distinction from the Iowa Department of Education. The recognition highlights schools that help students navigate the unique challenges of military life, including frequent moves and parental deployments.

Forest City stood out as one of only seven districts statewide to earn the designation — and one of the few where every school in the district was included.

“Iowa’s school communities provide instrumental support to military families and their children as they serve and sacrifice for our state and nation,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “The inaugural Iowa Purple Star Schools are committed to providing strong educational transitions.”

The announcement was made during a ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines, held in conjunction with the Month of the Military Child. State leaders, including Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer and Iowa National Guard Brigadier General Justin Wagner, joined education officials to recognize the schools.

In addition to Forest City, several other districts across the state were honored as part of the inaugural group:

• Albia Community School District: Lincoln Center and Albia Junior/Senior High School
• Iowa City Community School District: Iowa City High School and Iowa City West High School
• Newton Community School District: Berg Middle School and Newton High School
• Pleasantville Community School District: Pleasantville Elementary School, Pleasantville Junior High School and Pleasantville High School
• Sigourney Community School District: Sigourney Junior/Senior High School
• Woodward-Granger Community School District: Woodward-Granger Early Learning Center, Woodward-Granger Elementary School, Woodward-Granger Middle School and Woodward-Granger High School

To qualify for the Purple Star designation, schools must appoint a military liaison, maintain a dedicated resource page for families, host programs that raise awareness of military life, and provide training for staff to better support students facing those challenges.

The designation is valid for three years and stems from bipartisan legislation passed in 2025, establishing the Iowa Purple Star School Program. Applications were reviewed by a committee that included representatives from the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, which works to ease school transitions for military families nationwide.

For Forest City, the recognition reflects a districtwide effort to ensure students from military families feel supported and connected — no matter where their journey takes them.