Paradise Valley Unified School District students returned to class this week as the governing board approved an agreement establishing a full Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps program at North Canyon High School and heard updates on new communication tools for families and students.
The board unanimously approved a memorandum of agreement with the U.S. Army during its Aug. 6 meeting that would allow North Canyon High School to transition from its National Defense Cadet Corps pilot program to a full Army JROTC program.
North Canyon has operated the pilot program for the past two years, during which the district funded the program while the Army provided curriculum and consultation.
The school received approval in April to become a full JROTC program. Under the new arrangement, the Department of Defense will pay 50% of instructor salary costs and provide textbooks, uniforms, additional instructor training and support for JROTC competition teams.
District officials emphasized the program is intended as a leadership and service program rather than a military recruiting effort.
“I would also like to remind the board that the JROTC programs are not focused on recruitment,” Dr. Chris Asmussen, assistant superintendent of leadership for secondary for PVschools, told the board. “Rather, these programs promote service, leadership and growth to the students who participate.”
The district compared the program to a dual enrollment leadership or management course.
Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Meet Stacy Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.
Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.
Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!
Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.
Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.
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