Navy to Disestablish ROTC Program at Dundalk High

The Navy announced Monday that it will disestablish 29 Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) units, effective June 30, 2012, including the program at Dundalk High School.

The units scheduled to be disbanded are currently on probationary status for failure to meet statutory and regulatory minimum student enrollment standards, according to a press release from the Naval Service Training Command Public Affairs office.

The Dundalk High program was the only Maryland school named on the disestablishment list.

"Our goal is to maintain a high-quality program that ensures the full range of NJROTC activities are available for participating students across the nation and overseas," said Rear Adm. David F. Steindl, commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) in the press release. The NSTC oversees more than 600 NJROTC units at accredited high schools across the nation.

"We are extremely proud of what the NJROTC program offers participating students, so it was important for us to work with each non-compliant high school and continue to support the NJROTC program as long as possible. However, due to projected future funding levels, it is no longer possible to maintain NJROTC units that fail to meet minimum enrollment requirements and are not in compliance with program directives."

The Department of Defense requires a minimum student enrollment to maintain NJROTC units. For schools with an enrollment of 1,000 or more—Dundalk's enrollment is just over 1,200—the minimum enrollment number is 100.

High schools and secondary educational institutions may apply for a Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) unit as an alternative to the NJROTC program.

"The NNDCC program is modeled on the NJROTC program, but is primarily funded by host schools," Steindl said in the press release. "NNDCC units use the NJROTC curriculum, and gain the same values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment as do the cadets in the NJROTC program."

The complete press release can be found here.