Keweenaw Report Your Source for Local News and Sports
Hancock Public School Board officials are working to keep their JROTC program in operation.
The board is currently reviewing funding options before taking a vote on the matter.
“To Motivate Young People to be Better Citizens” is the motto of the U.S. Army’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program that currently is housed in Hancock Public Schools, but due to lacking enrollment, the program is creating a deficit, and losses projected for next year are around $75,000.
The board met recently at a special meeting called to discuss the issue.
“The district has been underwriting, I’m guessing for a while, to cover those costs,” said Superintendent Kipp Beaudoin, who says that the future of the program remains uncertain at this point and the board is considering the subject from many perspectives.
Beaudoin said, “Why do you run a sports program? Why do you run a music program? Why do you run an art program? Because you have children that fit into those programs and it’s the sole reason they come to school. If this is the reason, have you taken it away? And that’s the heart wrenching question here.”
Although ending the program could be a potential outcome, the board is considering alternatives that could keep it in operation, but there are some bureaucratic obstacles.
One of the options discussed was moving the class and cadets to a neighboring district, such as Houghton, who has a larger enrollment base. Another solution would be reassigning the program to the Copper Country Intermediate School District.
Beaudoin said, “The Department of Defense doesn’t allow that. You can’t just move the checker from point A to Point B even though you’ve changed no personnel. What would happen is the program would have to go back into the hopper for the Department of Defense and then have to be reallocated. There would be no guarantee that Houghton would get the program.”
So in the meantime, the Hancock Public School Foundation has been contacted for assistance, and Superintendent Beaudoin has contacted US Congressman Jack Bergman’s office to help with some of the legalities.
“Would he be able to create a leverage where we could get out from some of the verbiage? In which case then I think all bets are off,” said Beaudoin.
The board is expected to revisit the topic at its regular meeting on April 16th.
