| Questioning JROTC
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JROTC Wastes Scarce School Funds
JROTC's claim to be a low-cost youth development program fails on both counts. Not only does JROTC do little for at-risk youth beyond tracking them into dead-end military jobs, but it's not free or even inexpensive. By conservative estimates, JROTC costs $75,000 per school once the program is past its start-up years. These are funds coming directly from school districts -- funds that could be spent on smaller class sizes, art and music programs, or a host of other vital needs.
For more information, see The True Cost of JROTC from the American Friends Service Committee.
The military offers schools a package deal that sounds too good to be true - at first. But as soon as people take a good hard look at the program, they find themselves asking more and more questions. Do they want a military recruitment program inside the school district? Do they want to violate their own anti-discrimination policies to get it? And do they want to pay for it when so many other programs are being cut?
They sell it as a low-cost program . . .
The military's high school training program, the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), is sold to school districts as a "free" program. Too often, school boards and school administrations sign on the dotted line before the truth sinks in: that JROTC costs. The Department of Defense contributes a relatively small portion of the overall financial burden - it's school districts underwriting the cost of teaching young people to march, drill and learn military history and behavior. And the military's initial offer is a one- to three-year special, after which the costs go up significantly.
. . . but it's not
A sample of JROTC's net cost to some school districts across the nation:
| City |
Net Annual Cost |
Annual Cost Per Unit |
| Atlanta, GA |
$1.5 million |
$136,000 |
| Prince George's County, MD |
$1.1 million |
$55,000 |
| District of Columbia |
$799,910 |
$61,531 |
| San Francisco, CA |
$570,000 |
$71,250 |
| New York, NY |
$368,000 |
$36,000 |
| Cottage Grove, MN |
$82,021 |
$82,021 |
Note: some of these costs are slated to skyrocket in the next five years. When programs are in their first few years, the DoD contributes more. The New York figure, for example, may seem unusually low - but of New York's 12 units, eight are new, three of those in their first year.
What Are Districts Paying For?
Under the standard JROTC contract, the DoD provides students with books, uniforms and "special equipment" like the rifles. Insurance, building facilities and maintenance, and half the salaries and all benefits: all of these are costs to the district. Again, when the Pentagon approaches a school board they often present quite different figures, and for the first few years the costs may be lower.
But even with "sweetener deals" and special extra subsidies offered to new units, schools can't avoid the basic arithmetic: the contract requires them to hire two military retirees for up to 150 students. In the course of a normal school day, most high school teachers teach between 150-200 students, by themselves: thus, schools are from day one paying more for JROTC than for science, math, reading, history or other academic subjects, and far more than for physical education (for which JROTC is often substituted).
Field Trips, Storage for Weapons
In DeKalb County, Georgia, school officials estimated $6,500 per school in non-personnel expenses, ranging from phone calls and transportation to special field trips to local military bases. They also estimated $56,000 in start-up costs for the district's 15 units, including classroom renovation and secure storage facilities for weapons and uniforms. Some branches of the military require the districts to pay for uniform cleaning and equipment maintenance.
Special Funds for Few Students
Just as surely as it targets low-income students, JROTC divides them: many students without access to field trips and other JROTC "perks" feel resentment and anger toward their neighbors and classmates. Students are aware where their school's money is being spent, especially when other programs are being cut.
We Can't Afford to Sacrifice Education . . .
In Washington, D.C., school officials have chosen to wipe out conflict resolution and cut deeply into dropout prevention programs, while expanding JROTC. In other districts, foreign languages, arts departments, and other programs essential to young people's education and self-esteem are being slashed in the face of tightening budgets.
.. . . For Military Recruitment
There is no hard evidence to support any of the Pentagon's claims about JROTC as a dropout prevention program for "at-risk youth" - not when JROTC has an 85 percent dropout rate itself, and most troubled youth don't qualify for the program. However, there is hard evidence for its effectiveness as a recruiting program: according to the Army, half the young people who graduate JROTC join the military, most going directly into the enlisted ranks.
There Are Alternatives that Give our Kids a Real Future
School-to-work, mentorship, urban gardening, job training, multicultural understanding, conflict resolution: these programs build leadership and career skills for all students, not just those who choose the military option. Best of all, these civilian-run programs belong in our schools, a true part of what it means to educate our young people.
Join the Growing Number of Schools Saying No to JROTC!
JROTC is one of those programs that doesn't like being exposed to daylight. In 1992, when Congress first voted to double the number of JROTC programs, relatively few people were questioning it. However, over the past few years, parents, teacher and community members have learned the reality behind JROTC, and worked to alert their school boards and administrators. As a result, 25 school districts have rejected JROTC, choosing instead to emphasize offering our kids the education and the future that they deserve. |