District hears from JROTC supporters

By Sam Harvey
Staff Reporter

Board members took a hard look at expenses back in April, when it became apparent the district was slipping into the red — by more than a quarter-million dollars.

That triggered the first in a long series of monthly reports from Director of Business and Finance Patrick Miller (as required by state law), regarding what the district intended to do about it.

Miller and Board Member John Evans (finance committee chair) presented the austerity list. It included recommendations like pursuing litigation to recoup nearly $2 million lost at the new Sussex Central High School project, on a defaulted construction bond.

As it turned out, Sen. George Howard Bunting (20th District) came through with some stopgap funding, so the district has been able to put that matter on hold. However, board members did move to slim operating expenses in other areas.

The board considered eliminating some school tax relief and senior citizen discount expenses, but upon review found that wouldn’t be an option. But they did cut several “school climate” positions (hall monitors, peer mediation facilitators, in-school suspension supervisors), despite considerable public support for the “behavior mod” team.

The JROTC programs were also mentioned at that time. One school’s JROTC was already on probation for low enrollment, Miller pointed out, and if interest didn’t pick up in a year, the program could be cancelled, he said.

Whether that would be an IRSD decision or a function of the federal guidelines for JROTC is unclear. But if the school board ever wondered how folks around the district would feel about dismantling the program, they need wonder no more.

As noted, veterans, parents, JROTC cadets — even a student who’s graduated and now attends Norwich University (a military college) — made Nov. 22 the night to iterate their support.

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 7234 Commander Joe Domanski rose in support. He recognizing Indian River High School’s Marine Corps JROTC Color Guard for their role at this year’s Veteran’s Day celebration (Nov. 11).

In case anyone on the school board was thinking about it, he chastised them for even thinking about “turning your backs on these youngsters who are willing to serve their country.”

As Domanski pointed out, some shunned military service, even in times of war, but these young students might well be the ones who’d go on to defend American freedoms. He suggested any talk of cutting the JROTC programs would be sending the wrong message.

Another Post 7234 representative, Past Commander Lou Kubicki, said he’d been working with IRSD students for 11 years and noted how respectful the JROTC cadets were around him — just one good trait out of many.

If the district axed the program, Kubicki warned board members they’d miss the chance to instill “leadership, comradeship and citizenship, in their students.

“(These students) are the future of government,” he said. “If we dissolve this program we’ll be making a great mistake.”

For the most part, the school board just gave everyone their say, but Board Member Dr. Don Hattier did speak in support of the programs.

Hattier, born overseas into a military family, thanked Maj. Frank Ryman and Master Sgt. Mark Sewell for inviting him to this year’s Marine Corps birthday celebration. He said it brought back memories from when he’d attended military functions with his father.

“We’re working very hard to keep (the JROTC program),” Hattier said after the meeting. “We’re simply reviewing everything, in fairness. But in my personal opinion there are some programs we need to keep, no matter what.”