McLean High School has earned Virginia's Purple Star Designation for its support of military-connected students and families.

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children awarded the recognition. The designation goes to schools that demonstrate a major commitment to military-connected families, and recipients receive a Purple Star emblem to display on-site.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) enrolls more than 14,000 military-connected students districtwide, according to the school's military families page. That page lists connections to Fort Belvoir, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and other nearby installations.

To qualify, schools must designate a staff point of contact for military families and conduct school-wide professional development on those students' needs. They also must maintain a dedicated resource webpage and run a student-led peer support program for newly enrolled and departing students, according to the VDOE.

McLean High meets that last requirement through Operation Homebase, a student-run club that supports peers whose families serve in the armed forces. Members have laid wreaths at the Pentagon Memorial and shipped care packages to deployed service members with Blue Star Families. The club also launched a Military Mentorship Program at Longfellow Middle School to help incoming students transition to high school, according to the school.

FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid, herself a military-connected child and the mother of a Marine, said the designation "supports an inclusive and welcoming school culture for all students and families." She called it "beneficial for ALL schools to have the designation, no matter what percentage of their student body is military-connected," according to a statement on the school's website.

At the district's Military Families Welcome BBQ on Sept. 10, Reid said, "We're thrilled to be the host to almost 14,000 military-connected children here in Fairfax County."

McLean High is not alone. Langley High School also received the Purple Star Award. Across the district, 145 FCPS schools held the designation as of October 2025, nearly 75% of all schools at that time. Statewide, 590 Virginia schools held an active Purple Star designation as of that same period, according to the VDOE.

Reid has set a goal for FCPS to reach 100% and earn Purple Star Division status by the 2026-27 school year.