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Fate of Sussex Tech's JROTC Program remains uncertain

Sussex Tech High School’s Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) Program may shut down. 

 

And the school faces a March 9, 2020 deadline to decide its fate.

Sussex Tech’s Junior ROTC serves over 100 students and in January, its two instructors told the district they are leaving at the end of this school year.

“One was seeking other job opportunities and the other one was retiring,” said Sussex Tech School District Superintendent Stephen Guthrie.

 

He says their departures were only part of the issue.

 

“At the time they advised me, based on our two weeks on, two weeks off senior work-based experience plan with vocational education, that they did not believe that met the requirements of the daily drills that are needed to run a JROTC program,” Guthrie said.

 

Guthrie points out the work-based learning requires students to leave school for part of the day, and that conflicts with JROTC protocol. He says officials resolved that issue by having the work-based learning start after the school day ends.

But new instructors are still needed. And Guthrie says time is running out to find them.

 

“We’ve set March 9th is really the deadline for us," said Guthrie. "That’s our next board meeting and if we have no instructors in the pipeline, none to bring to them to approve, regretfully we may have to make the decision to terminate the program.”

 

Guthrie calls that prospect disappointing.

 

“We all agree that it is a very valuable program for us here," said Guthrie. "It is a class, but it does teach students leadership skills. It also teaches them discipline and respect and the code of the Army.”

 

Guthries adds it’s not clear why finding junior ROTC instructors is so difficult, but notes other school districts in Sussex County tell him their instructors are also transitioning out of the program.

 
 

Kelli Steele has over 30 years of experience covering news in Delaware, Baltimore, Winchester, Virginia, Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.