Pioneer High applies for military support designation

Pioneer High School has long been a campus that works to support its students from military families, but now they seek a state designation to make it official. 

Following board approval at the April 21 meeting, Pioneer High School can apply for the Texas Education Agency’s Purple Star Campus Designation. TEA awards the designation to campuses that go above and beyond in supporting military-connected students and their families. Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 1557 into law during the 86th Texas Legislature, creating the special honor for Texas public and charter schools.

PHS Assistant Principal Andres Benitez has spearheaded the initiative to make Pioneer a Purple Star Campus. If the state approves the application, Pioneer will be the first in the district to receive the award. 

“It’s a group of students that really embody resilience, adaptability, a real sense of patriotism,” Benitez said. “Military families are highly mobile and therefore they experience transitions — transitions of schools, transitions of curricula, transitions of social environments. And because of that, they have a unique set of challenges. And as a district, our responsibility is not only to ensure that we welcome these students but to provide the support and resources that they might need to thrive.” 

With the help of campus staff, the assistant superintendent said he would like to establish peer support programs, academic support and employee training. Additionally, Pioneer will have two military-connected student ambassadors helping new students acclimate to Sharyland ISD. The ambassadors will provide tours, ensure the students have someone to sit with during lunch and act as a general point of contact. 

“This recognition not only brings an enhanced reputation but it also increases our visibility,” Benitez said. “There’s a lot of communities near bases that see those listings and choose to relocate near these schools to be able to attend these schools. Not only that, but definitely this will strengthen our community ties and relationships, which I’m sure we’d like to do.” 

Trustee and U.S. Army veteran David Keith praised the initiative. 

“I love it,” he said. “I think it’s fantastic to get that designation.” 

Keith spoke about feeling disconnected from others when he returned from completing his military service. He suggested the district consider expanding the program to assist former students returning from their time in the military. Benitez said he wants to try incorporating the trustee’s idea into Pioneer’s program to strengthen community ties. 

Superintendent Dr. Elaine Howard said the next step in supporting military families would be for the district to become certified to participate in the Chapter 35 military benefits program. The federal program, known as the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance program, provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of veterans who are 100% disabled or died from a service-related injury. Student dependents can access special monies as early as their junior year of high school. 

“In order for those students to be able to access the money, we have to have certified counselors in our district,” Howard explained. “So next year, I will be asking members of our counseling staff to step up and become certified so that students in our district, whether we know that they’re there or not, if they want to access the Chapter 35 benefits, they would be allowed to.” 

Howard praised Benitez and the Pioneer staff for taking the initiative to make PHS a hub that supports military families. The assistant superintendent said he wants to help other campuses create successful programs so they can earn the Purple Star designation, as well. TEA will announce which campuses earned the Purple Star in the fall. 

“Now, [I’m] looking at the potential for what we could do for other campuses to also follow in those steps,” said the superintendent, who used to work for Boerne ISD. “Having been in a city where we were surrounded with military bases, I like this level of service to our community.” 

An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Andres Benitez as the assistant superintendent.