BUCKLEY SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Leaders, educators and community members gathered to recognize newly designated schools during the 2026 Purple Star Schools ceremony at the Colorado Department of Education, Denver, Colorado, April 7, 2026.
The Purple Star designation, awarded through the Colorado Department of Education, recognizes schools that implement programs and resources to assist students experiencing frequent relocations, deployments and transitions between school systems. The program, established in 2024, acknowledges public schools committed to addressing the unique challenges of military life, and the designation remains valid for three years.
Among those recognized this year was Harmony Ridge P-8, part of Aurora Public Schools, which serves a population of students connected to nearby installations like Buckley Space Force Base.
For Principal Erik Cohen, the recognition reflects both a professional and personal mission shaped by his dual role as an educator and a member of the Colorado Air National Guard.
“Our country does a great job of honoring and supporting our men and women in uniform. Often overlooked, however, is the resilience military families demonstrate in service to our country as well,” Cohen said. “From a PCS to a TDY or deployment, military families must adapt to so much change. Schools should be a place that understands the weight students carry and is a supportive space.”
Cohen also recognized the importance of the purple star designation to identify schools that provide exceptional support for military families, extending beyond just active duty members.
“I think the Purple Star designation can guide military families in a search for a school and neighborhood that can help ease the anxiety of a PCS or upcoming deployment,” he said. “Harmony Ridge is home to a number of military families who are based at Buckley, both Guard and Active Duty. Our military families walk in both the civilian and military worlds; as the principal and an airman in the 140th, I am positioned to bridge the gap between the two.”
Furthermore, Cohen spoke on the importance of the partnership between the State of Colorado, the school system and the military communities.
“Our partnership ensures that the Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines who call Buckley home have a community outside the installation’s gates,” Cohen said. “It can strengthen resolve when the call comes to defend our country. It becomes our duty and is just as mission critical.”
Lt. Col. Tyler Hughes, Space Base Delta 2 Director of Mission Support, also addressed the challenges military families face.
“As Mr. Cohen mentioned, military families and their children experience a significant amount of change and disruption on a regular basis,” Hughes said. “So, it is incredibly heart-warming to see schools like Harmony Ridge putting in the extra effort to make their school a more welcoming and supportive community for military children.”
Statewide, the number of Purple Star Schools continues to grow. This year, 22 additional schools were recognized across Colorado, including multiple campuses within School District 49, where all schools in the Falcon Zone now hold the designation. Schools must meet specific criteria to qualify, including providing dedicated points of contact, resources and programs tailored to military-connected students and their families.
The ceremony also highlighted broader statewide efforts to support military-connected students, including recent legislation aimed at streamlining educational transitions and ensuring consistent access to resources, particularly for students with specialized learning needs.
As more schools across Colorado earn the Purple Star designation, the initiative continues to strengthen partnerships between military installations, educators and local communities, ensuring that military children are supported both in and out of the classroom.