Lompoc Unified School District (LUSD) is celebrating Crestview Elementary School’s recent designation as a California Purple Star School Designation. Crestview is among 12 schools in Santa Barbara County to receive this designation.

LUSD currently serves 622 military-connected families across the district’s 16 schools. Crestview Elementary School serves the highest number of military-connected families in the District with current enrollment at 308 students.

Recognizing the significant role of public schools in supporting military-connected students and their families, the California Department of Education promotes the California Purple Star School Designation Program.

The program is focused on reducing the burden on military-connected students and their families who must move whenever an active duty parent or guardian receives a relocation order. This creates unique academic and social-emotional challenges for military-connected students.

To ensure that school supports are in place for students and families at Crestview Elementary School, Principal Cristina Settje and her team collaborate closely with Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB).

Each month, they team up to provide professional learning focused on supporting military-connected students and families and offer presentations from the VSFB Family Readiness Center to help school staff understand the unique aspects of military life.

Crestview also partners with the VSFB Military Family Life Counselor, Child and Youth Services, Family Advocacy Program, and Security Forces and Conservation.

Crestview has created programs to extend additional support to military-connected students and families.

The Students Helping Students Program supports new military-connected students by pairing them up with student ambassadors who help to create a smooth transition into school, taking new students on school tours and collaborating on a community service project.

The Pa-Patrol Program links military-connected fathers to Crestview as volunteers in classrooms, on the playground, and at school events.

Finally, Crestview and VSFB regularly come together to honor the military-connected community through special school-wide events, including Veteran’s Day, the Month of the Military Child, Black History Month, Career Day, and STEM Night.

“I am proud that Crestview was recognized as a Purple Star School,” Settje said. “Our staff is committed to building a welcoming and supportive environment for all of our military connected students and their families.

“During the application process, I was able to work with Crystal Adams, Military School liaison, to facilitate training and resources that support the military students. This recognition reinforces our continued commitment to meeting the needs of our Crestview Students and to building a partnership with the VSFB community.”

“Military families often face unique challenges, including frequent moves and deployments. Students may change schools six to nine times from Pre-K to high school,” Adams said.

“At Vandenberg Space Force Base, we deeply value our partnership with Lompoc Unified School District, particularly Crestview Elementary,” she said. “Their dedication to supporting our military-connected students, under the leadership of Principal Ana Marie Settje, has earned them the well-deserved recognition of a California Department of Education Purple Star School. This is a testament to their exceptional commitment.”

The Purple Star Program was designed to help mitigate the challenges of high mobility by setting standards for and publicly designating military-friendly schools.

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