Six Judson ISD Schools Earn Purple Star Designation, Strengthening Support for Military Families Near Hightop Ridge
For families in Hightop Ridge, the military is an important part of the broader community. The neighborhood’s location in the Converse area, near Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, places residents in a part of northeast Bexar County where military families live, work, attend school and put down roots.
That makes a new recognition for six Judson Independent School District campuses especially meaningful.
Judson ISD announced Sept. 8 that Candlewood STEM Academy, Fine Arts Academy of Olympia, Masters Elementary School, Judson Care Academy, Judson Early College Academy and Salinas Elementary School have earned the Texas Education Agency’s Purple Star Campus Designation for the 2026-27 school year. The designation will remain in effect through the 2027-28 school year.
What Is a Purple Star Campus in Texas?
The Texas Purple Star Campus Designation recognizes schools that demonstrate a commitment to meeting the unique needs of students whose parents or guardians serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.
For military families, a new duty station can bring a long list of changes at once. Children may be adjusting to a new home, a different school and unfamiliar classmates while also navigating a parent’s deployment, return from deployment or changing military assignment.
Purple Star campuses are designed to make some of those transitions easier.
To qualify for the designation, a Texas school must appoint a campus-based military liaison, maintain an online resource page for military families and operate a transition program for military-connected students. Schools must also demonstrate additional support through efforts such as Month of the Military Child, Military Family Month or partnerships with military school liaison officers.
The six Judson ISD campuses will also be recognized through TXSchools.gov and by the Texas Education Agency and Office of the Governor.
Why Purple Star Recognition Matters in the Judson ISD Community
Judson ISD serves communities on San Antonio’s northeast side, an area with longstanding connections to the military and nearby Joint Base San Antonio installations.
For families arriving in the area because of a military assignment, practical support at school can make a noticeable difference. Knowing whom to contact, getting help with school transitions and connecting children with classmates who understand military life can help a new community begin to feel more familiar.
The Purple Star designation gives those efforts a formal structure and identifies campuses that have established programs specifically focused on military-connected students.
For Hightop Ridge residents, the recognition also offers a broader look at the priorities taking shape across the school district serving their community.
Six Judson ISD Campuses Recognized for 2026-27
The newly designated Purple Star campuses are
- Candlewood STEM Academy,
- Fine Arts Academy of Olympia
- Masters Elementary School
- Judson Care Academy
- Judson Early College Academy
- Salinas Elementary School.
Their recognition represents more than a title for the individual campuses. Collectively, the designations show an effort within Judson ISD to recognize a group of students whose lives can involve transitions that many of their classmates never experience.
In a community where military service is part of the lives of many neighbors and families, that support carries significance beyond any one school.
Residents can stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for more Hightop Ridge and Judson ISD school news, neighborhood updates and information affecting families in the Converse area.
Johnny Krenek has been connected to community news since childhood, growing up alongside the family business his parents founded—Krenek Printing. Today, he serves as Vice President and lead developer for My Neighborhood News, where he drives the digital experience and supports the team across a variety of technical and operational roles. He is passionate about building tools that help connect neighbors and strengthen communities.
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