Hutchinson-Central Technical High School automatically enrolls freshmen in Jr. ROTC. But parents may keep their children out of the program by signing a statement. Some parents and the New York ACLU say that the process of opting out, in effect, makes the program compulsory, mandatory and illegal. The brutal truth of the matter, however, is that there is a federal requirement that schools getting federal money-<>and that’s most of them nowadays-must supply recruiters with that information unless parents say otherwise.

[Posted By Gregoire]

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By Rich Kellman
Republished from WGRZ.com

Buffalo high school automatically enrolls freshmen in Jr. ROTC.

Longtime Buffalo anti-war activist Bruce Beyer didn’t want his daughter in Hutch-Tech’s Jr. ROTC program, so he opted-out, as rules require. But he says he shouldn’t have to do that.

“It’s supposed to be the other way around,” he tells us. “If you want your child to be in Jr. ROTC, you opt into the program, not the other way around.”

Hutchinson-Central Technical High School does automatically enroll freshmen in Jr. ROTC. But parents may keep their children out of the program by signing a statement.

Principal David Greco shows us slips of paper held together by rubber bands. “What I have here is a stack of people that did comply.”

Greco says about half the eligible students opted out of Jr. ROTC. But the New York Civil Liberties Union says the process of opting out, in effect, makes the program compulsory, mandatory and illegal.

“We’re not holding anybody against their will,” Lt. Colonel James McNicholas tells us. But as head of the Buffalo Schools Jr. ROTC program, he says the Civil Liberties claim about illegality might be right. “The New York State education law says parents should have to opt into the program instead of the letter we sent to parents telling them to opt out,” he says.

Principal Greco nods. “I’m coming to find that out,” he says. Greco says he expects to change to the opt-in process for Jr.ROTC. But he adds,
“At this time, there isn’t a youngster in the program whose parents don’t want them there.”

Kellman: “It’s the parents’ say that counts?”

Greco: “Most definitely.”

Hutch Tech 11th-grader and Jr.ROTC member Stephanie Mongielo tells us, “We learn about leadership, cooperation, teamwork. That’s something we don’t get in science or English.”

Kellman: “Now suppose you mistakenly got into the program, would they let you out as soon as you found the mistake?”

Stephanie: “Yes.”

“So you don’t feel compelled to be part of it?”

Stephanie: “No.”

Kellman: “Never did?”

Stephanie: “No.”

And according to school officials, she and others like her never will feel pressured to join.

Here’s an “opt-out” footnote for parents: If you don’t want military recruiters to have access to information about your high school student son or daughter, you must opt out. There’s a federal requirement that schools getting federal money-<>and that’s most of them nowadays-must supply recruiters with that information unless parents say otherwise.

So if you don’t opt out, your child’s school is required to send such information to military recruiters.