Jefferson County Public Schools is open on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2026. The district's 2026 to 2027 parent calendar, checked November 4, lists no student holiday that day. For families with a parent in uniform, the more useful facts are in Kentucky law: a state compact that controls how JCPS enrolls, places and graduates children of active duty service members, and a 2024 law that lets a military family apply to a specific JCPS school before it moves here.
Only two JCPS schools appear on the Kentucky Purple Star Award's Jefferson County list, checked November 4: Bates Elementary and Chenoweth Elementary, both awarded in fall 2022.
Which JCPS schools are Purple Star schools?
Bates Elementary, 7601 Bardstown Road, and Chenoweth Elementary, 3622 Brownsboro Road. The same county page lists one Catholic school, St. Athanasius School, awarded in spring 2023. No JCPS middle or high school is on it.
The program's About page describes the Purple Star Award as a recognition, sponsored by the state, for individual schools that support military connected students. It covers families in active duty, the National Guard, the Reserves, and veterans. The program says it started in Ohio in 2017 and runs in 41 states.
To earn it, the application page says a school has to do four things:
Name a Purple Star liaison who works in the building.
Have that liaison complete the online training "Military Youth in Kentucky."
Host at least one military recognition event or activity.
Post a resource page for military families on the school website, with the liaison's contact information and local support groups.
The award isn't permanent. The program's renewal form says Purple Star schools "are required to reapply every two years," with renewals due October 30 and decisions by December 15. The Jefferson County page's original 2022 award dates do not confirm current designation, so ask the front office or a counselor to confirm the school's status now and who the liaison is, rather than relying on the award year.
What do the two schools' military pages actually say?
They're uneven, and one has stale phone numbers.
Chenoweth's Military Families page names two staff members as Purple Star liaisons, with email addresses and the school's number, 502 485 8227. It then lists groups such as Fort Knox Child and Youth Services, the Kentucky National Guard's Family Assistance Center and the Military Child Education Coalition.
Two of its numbers don't match what the agencies post now. Chenoweth lists the Veterans Crisis Line as 1 800 273 8255 and pressing 1. The Veterans Crisis Line now says to dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Chenoweth lists Military OneSource as 1 800 342 9649. Military OneSource's own site lists 800 342 9647.
Bates's Purple Star Resources page is a list of 20 links, from the American Red Cross to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. We didn't find a named liaison on it when we checked November 4. The school's number is 502 485 8208.
If your child attends another JCPS school, nothing stops it from applying. The application page lists two deadlines a year, February 15 and September 15. Awards are announced in April for the Month of the Military Child and in November for Veterans Appreciation Month.
What does Kentucky's military compact require from JCPS?
It requires the district to enroll, place and graduate children of active duty families without making them start over. Kentucky put the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children into law as KRS 156.730. The governor signed it April 10, 2008, according to the compact commission's Kentucky profile.
The compact covers children of active duty members, including Guard and Reserve members on active duty orders. It also covers families of members who were severely injured and medically discharged or retired, and of members who died on active duty, for one year afterward. It doesn't cover children of inactive Guard and Reserve members, most retirees, most veterans, or Defense Department civilians and contractors.
For covered families, the statute says:
Records. If official records can't be released, the old school gives the parent a set of unofficial records, and the new school "shall enroll and appropriately place the student" based on them. The old school then has 10 days to send official records.
Shots. Families get 30 days from enrollment to get any immunizations Kentucky requires. That's longer than the two weeks most students get.
Kindergarten age. A child who was in kindergarten or first grade elsewhere continues at that grade level "regardless of age."
Course placement. JCPS must "initially honor" placement in honors, International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement and career pathway courses, along with gifted and English learner programs. The school can test later.
Special education. The new school must initially provide services comparable to the child's current IEP and make reasonable accommodations under an existing 504 plan.
Activities. Schools must help a transferring student join extracurricular activities "regardless of application deadlines," if the student otherwise qualifies.
Graduation. Officials "shall waive specific courses required for graduation if similar course work has been satisfactorily completed" elsewhere, or give a reason. A senior who can't meet JCPS requirements can get a diploma from the previous district.
Guardianship. A special power of attorney for a military child is enough to enroll the child and sign school forms.
Can a child miss school when a parent deploys?
Yes, at the superintendent's discretion. The compact says a student whose parent "has been called to active duty for, is on leave from, or immediately returned from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting, shall be granted additional excused absences" to spend time with that parent. It defines deployment as one month before departure through six months after the parent returns. Put the request in writing to your child's principal and attach the orders or leave dates.
Can you apply to a JCPS school before you move to Louisville?
Yes. KRS 159.075, amended in 2024 by House Bill 471, lets a family pre enroll when a parent is transferred or pending transfer to a Kentucky installation on official orders. It also covers families returning to Kentucky within a year of an honorable or general discharge under honorable conditions.
The law says a district "shall accept an application for enrollment and course registration by electronic means," including "enrollment in a specific school or program." It also says the district "shall not require" the parent to appear in person. Proof of residence is due within 10 days after the arrival date on the orders. The orders themselves count, as does an address on post, in military housing, or in a home under contract to be built.
That timing matters now. The application window for 2027 to 2028 magnet schools and programs runs November 2 through December 18, according to the JCPS calendar. The law doesn't say a military family can apply after a magnet deadline, so a family with orders for next summer should apply inside the window. Our school choice hub walks through the options, and our JROTC and military leadership page covers those programs.
Does your child's school know your family is military connected?
Only if you tell it. The Kentucky Department of Education's census data standard, revised June 23, 2026, says a student counts as military connected when a parent or guardian is on active duty or on full time National Guard duty. The School Report Card looks only for a status of "Active Duty, Deployed" or "Active Duty, Not Deployed." Children of veterans aren't counted that way.
The same standard describes a Student Military Identifier that "allows school counselors and administrators to ensure those student's well being as they adjust to deployed parents or other life events that may affect their school success." The status goes in the student's record, so call your child's school, ask the registrar to record it, and tell the counselor before a deployment starts.
Who helps military families with school outside JCPS?
Fort Knox School Support Services. The School Liaison Officers help families compare local school options and handle transitions, and the office says its services cost nothing for cardholders. Call 502 624 2305, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The office closes for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., according to its contact page.
Kentucky National Guard Family Assistance Center. Chenoweth's page lists 1 800 372 7601, option 1.
Military OneSource. Free support at 800 342 9647.
Our Military Kids. It funds activities for children ages 1 to 18 of Guard or Reserve members who are deployed overseas or activated on a named stateside mission, and of service members receiving care for combat injuries. Chenoweth's military families page still describes the same program as serving ages 3 to 18.
Veterans Crisis Line. Dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255.
If your child's school isn't Bates or Chenoweth, call the counselor this week. Ask who handles military family transitions and whether your child's military connected status is in the school's records. If the school wants to apply for the Purple Star, the next deadline is February 15.