The Middletown Public Schools Curriculum Committee on Oct. 9 heard a presentation about Army JROTC and agreed to study district facilities and staffing as a first step toward a potential application to host the program.

Colleen Fitzpatrick, interim chief academic officer, summarized the JROTC presentation and the program's requirements: two instructor positions (the program typically requires the district to pay one teacher's salary while the federal program covers about 50% of the other teacher's salary but does not cover benefits), two classrooms plus a secure storage closet for uniforms, and outdoor space for physical training. Fitzpatrick said the federal application process is stringent and can take two to three years for site approval.

"Once these two teachers are hired, they become our employees," Fitzpatrick said, describing the staffing and facilities obligations. Board member Liz Crooks added that the program historically has helped some students develop direction, purpose and discipline; she said the program also provides equipment such as robotics and drones and includes built-in community-service and leadership components that can expand the district's existing offerings.

Committee members discussed enrollment expectations and next steps. Fitzpatrick said the program's goal is roughly 10% of the student population (about 120 students for Middletown) but new sites often start with a minimum of about 50 students. The program would be offered as an elective during the school day and requires parent permission for student participation. Fitzpatrick noted flexibility in program delivery: activities the district deems inappropriate—such as rifle instruction—can be excluded to comply with local policies.

Committee members agreed to form a collaborative group, including administration, central office staff, guidance counselors and board representatives who attended the initial presentation, to perform a facilities analysis and prepare the application if the district determines the program is a good fit. Fitzpatrick said the district would compile the required materials to make a competitive application and would take the process seriously given the multi-year timeline.

Next steps are to audit available classroom and storage space, assess outdoor-site needs, estimate full staffing and benefits costs, and collect community feedback before the district decides whether to submit an application to the JROTC program office.