According to Amanda Ammer, a leader of the Military Connected Kids group, there are over 103 Oakwood students identified as military-connected in grades 7-12. This means that someone in their family is on active duty in a branch of our Armed Forces, in the National Guard or in the Reserves.

The junior and senior high school became a Purple Star school this year. To earn this recognition from the Ohio Department of Education, a school has to show commitment to supporting military students through staff professional development and support services.

To support students, the Military Connected Kids group helps kids who are in military families connect with other students when they are new.

“Moving is very challenging and you have to get used to new environments very quickly, but meeting new people is something that I enjoy doing so it is not that hard for me,” David Hopkins (10), whose mom is part of the Air Force, said.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the average American military student will move 6 to 9 times during their school career. Many of our military-connected students have moved many times throughout their high school careers, like Kate Slazsnik (12), who also has parents in the Air Force.

“There are both good and bad aspects so the fun part is you get to see a lot of different places and get to meet a lot of new people but it also means uprooting your life every year,” Slaznik said.

According to Ammer, “The number of military-connected students in Ohio is on the rise, with over 15,000 reported in the 2022-2023 school year. Montgomery County is one of 3 counties with the highest populations in Ohio. Many students in our district have connections to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.”

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the average American military student will move six to nine times throughout their school career. Military students in Oakwood have lived in other countries such as Japan, Germany, Spain, and England.