The American Legion Post 283 briefed the Palisades Charter High School Board of Governors Tuesday night on its proposal to institute a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program at the school. The agenda item drew more than 20 audience members who were anxious to weigh in on the controversial issue. Bill Branch, 1st Vice Commander of Post 283, and Lt. Col. Ted McDonald, officer in charge of the JROTC program, described the program’s objectives and the benefits for the school in a presentation that was intended to test the waters on the philosophical question, rather than provide specific details. JROTC was established 88 years ago to ‘instill in students in secondary education institutions the values of citizenship, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment,’ according to its Mission Statement. A graduate of the program some 60 years ago, Branch said that he credits the JROTC for the self-confidence and professionalism he gained in helping him earn a master’s degree in electrical engineering, followed by a 40-year career in management at McDonnell-Douglas. ‘The Junior ROTC emphasis on motivation, dedication and leadership convinced the Legion that the program is worthy of consideration as an addition to the Charter high school curriculum,’ Branch said. The school would select the Army, Air Force, Marines or Navy to sponsor the program, which in turn would provide the necessary curriculum materials, equipment, uniforms and transportation. The Legion, which has a history of supporting PaliHi in the form of grants to the Booster Club as well as college scholarships, would provide resources for any JROTC unit at the school, including scholarships, award dinners and other extra-curricular activities. The sponsoring corps would provide partial reimbursement to the school for salaries of JROTC instructors. The Legion requested that parents offer input on the decision, and towards that end prepared a questionnaire that asks if they support such a program, which military corps they would prefer to be the sponsor and if they would like to attend an information briefing. Following the presentation, members of the audience spoke in both support and opposition to the proposal. Former Legion Commander Dr. Mike Martini advocated the program, and PaliHi parents Loree Fahy and Jack Sutton outlined their objections and presented the board with a petition signed by 250 members of the community. The petition restated many of the objections that were included in a letter written by Marcy Winograd, a PaliHi English teacher and Palisadians for Peace member and sent to Principal Linda Hosford in March. That letter, signed by 27 teachers, parents and community members, decried the militarization of the student body and called for a full debate on whether the school should allow and provide financial support for a JROTC program. At the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Governors voted to refer the question to the school’s educational program committee, which is made up of stake holders including teachers, administration, parents and students.
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