New Jersey student cadets hope to save NJROTC programs as school districts lose millions in state aid
MARLTON, N.J. (CBS) -- They've mastered marching, drill commands and impeccable uniforms adorned with badges, ribbons and medals. But for Cherokee High School students Sean Keefer and Megan Butler-Williams, the NJROTC program is more than just an elective.
"[NJROTC] has taught me tremendous leadership skills, and it's taught me how to be confident in myself," said Keefer, cadet executive officer at the school.
"[The program] gives you this sense of belonging almost," Butler-Williams said.
Keefer joined the NJROTC program as a freshman. Now a junior, he's risen to second in command, eager for more achievements in his senior year. However, because of a $4.7 million state aid cut, the Lenape Regional High School District has decided to eliminate the program at the end of this school year — along with gymnastics, bowling and 20 other clubs — due to low enrollment or cost concerns.
"I've put so much work and effort into this program after school, on the weekends and just to see it going away in a second made me very upset," Keefer said.
The news also rattled the more than 50 cadets at their high school in Marlton. Keefer and Butler-Williams quickly rallied the troops and launched an online petition to show the district the program's academic and professional benefits.
"I'm also hoping to get ROTC scholarships, and I learned that there are colleges that have ROTC programs where they will benefit you, cover schooling, and you're able to eventually commission or enlist into a branch of the military," Butler-Williams said.
In an email to the cadets and parents, Cherokee High School Principal Donna Charlesworth stated: "The Department of Defense has strict guidelines and conditions with respect to financially supporting all JROTC programs. It is mandated, that participating host schools are required to maintain participation levels of 10% of the student body, or 100 students, whichever is less."
Charlesworth continued: "Without a sustainable level of participation, it has become increasingly challenging to justify the continuation of the NJROTC program."
"NJROTC serves a lot more than just numbers or the number of people who are in the program. Because it's the people who join the program that build and become better citizens and better leaders," Butler-Williams said. "They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves."
The cadets are determined to prove they're building more than ranks — they're building futures.