Burlington, Washington- Below is a letter submitted to SkagitBreaking.com by the Burlington Edison High School NJROTC Booster Club. The letter is listed below in its entirety:
To the B-EHS Community, interested Citizen’s of Skagit County, our Legislators and Representatives:
Last Friday, some of our children found out through comments by teachers, other students, overheard office staff conversations, that NJROTC at Burlington would be terminated at the end of the year. There was talk of the Navy cancelling it, and that the two NSI (Naval Science Instructors) put forth to take over the program next year were wildly unqualified. Both ideas are untrue.
Later that night, the remaining children learned of the termination through an article posted on Skagit Breaking containing a letter from Principal Setterlund that addressed the end of the program.
https://www.skagitbreaking.com/burlington/burlington-edison-high-school-ends-njrotc-program/
This letter was posted on a sub-page of a sub-page of the BEHS website where most people don’t look on a daily, much less a weekly basis. Unfortunately, although the District intended for us to learn of the news first, they chose to mail us letters the same day as posting it and emailing the school staff. US Mail vs email…which will be read first?
What bothers us the most, is the misleading information and inaccuracies in the letter. The US Navy, additionally, took issue with the attempt to make them the scapegoat for the administration’s decision. Following are excerpts:
“Over the years Burlington-Edison High School (B-EHS) has worked hard to successfully meet the participation thresholds required in order to continue to offer NJROTC. NJROTC at B-EHS is marked with flexible thinking and problem solving. Many years saw sufficient students on the official Navy count day to continue the program, only to have the year-‐end number low. In other years, less than 100 students were enrolled on count day, thus placing our program on probation. Failure to meet participation minimums two years in a row means a discontinuation of the program.
Last year our program was placed on probation for low student enrollment. This year we barely made the minimum participation numbers at the last minute. Despite our recruitment efforts and promotion of the program, the outlook for next year remains bleak with only 51 students enrolled, including our incoming freshmen. Moreover, neither of the staff members who lead our program will be back next year due to retirement and relocation out of state. The Navy denied our request for additional flexibility in order to rebuild the program with a new NJROTC leadership team. Due to a current low level of student interest, we are forced to accept that the NJROTC program at B-EHS has come to an end. We must now begin to plan for the coming transition.”
First… “Despite our recruitment efforts and promotion of the program, the outlook for next year remains bleak with only 51 students enrolled, including our incoming freshmen.” It is well known that the school administration’s support of the program is lacking. Additionally, not all students have enrolled. The out of district students and homeschool students have until September. Second… “Failure to meet participation minimums two years in a row means a discontinuation of the program” This is true. However, this implies that is the case with our program, which is false. “Last year our program was placed on probation for low student enrollment” is a true statement, but standards were met and the probation was lifted. Until there is a new low enrollment issue, the program is in good standing, period. Third…“The Navy denied our request for additional flexibility…” is also false in that the Navy never denied the rebuilding of the program, only the request made that was outside of the protocols in place. The program is currently in good standing and would have one year to rebuild if placed on probation a second time.
The school administration and the district have been encouraged by the Area 13 Manager of the NJROTC program to maintain the program. Principal Setterlund was specifically advised of the quality of candidates that were interested in the Instructor positions. The Navy does not want Tiger Company to be dissolved. We have expressed our positive outlook for the opportunity the program now has for a clean slate with a team of new instructors with fresh ideas. Our kids have earned the right and have expected to continue with the program this next year, at least.
It is unacceptable that without word one, the school administration and district have cut a that serves the widest demographic possible having aspects that everyone can participate in regardless of gender, race, size, religion, athletic ability, intellect, or family financial status, but also serves students from other school districts and home school is of extreme value to our kids & our community. Plus, let’s not forget the families that chose to live here specifically because of this program.
Please assist us by letting them all know what a mistake it is to close this program.
Sincerely,
The B-EHS NJROTC Booster Club
School Board Members:
District 1 David Lowell, david@lowell-law.com
District 2 Roger Howard, howard-consulting@comcast.net
District 3 Bill Wallace, wlwallace1@comcast.net
District 4 Rich Wesen, rwesen@hotmail.com
District 5 Troy Wright, TroyW@oasysinc.com
Superintendent Laurel Browning, lbrowning@be.wednet.edu , 360-757-3311
Principal Todd Setterlund, tsetterlund@be.wednet.edu, 360-757-4704
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