CULVER CITY : School Board to Vote on ROTC Program

A new breed of military-minded students may graduate from Culver City High School if a Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps class is approved on Tuesday by the school board.

Board members tabled a vote on the matter at their April 4 meeting, saying they needed to gather more information about the program, which drew protests from a handful of Culver City residents.

“We’re not anti-military, but it’s not appropriate for the military to be in the high school in this manner,” said Michael Hersh, an attorney and member of the Culver City Community Network.

“Before the school board allows this to happen, a real search should be made for non-military discipline options,” Hersh said. “We question whether this will really help some of the students get their lives together.”

Culver City High School administrators support the JROTC program. The program is fully funded for its first two years by a Navy grant and partially funded in later years.

If school officials approve the proposal, the high school would be required to establish a three- or four-year naval science curriculum. District officials contend that the program offers students a career option and would help teach discipline to some of the school’s problem students.

Students would be taught leadership skills, maritime geography and the basics of navigation, according to a course outline. The class also would cover the effects of drugs and alcohol and lessons in how the Navy supports the missions of the U.S. government.

A portion of the class would include drills and physical fitness training. About 75% of the JROTC programs already operating teach the students how to shoot rifles, although schools are not required to offer rifle training as part of their programs, Shaw said.