Parents and community urge reinstatement of Monticello Junior ROTC

Parents and community members urged the Albemarle County School Board on Jan. 23 to reconsider the termination of the Junior ROTC program at Monticello High School, saying the program provides leadership skills, mentorship and scholarship opportunities for students.

"The Junior ROTC program does more than teach students about military service. It instills leadership, fosters discipline, and provides exposure to career paths that students wouldn't otherwise have a chance to explore," said Philip Cabira, a parent and community speaker, identifying himself by name and giving his address during public comment. Cabira recounted that his daughter earned a four-year ROTC scholarship and received nominations to the United States Military Academy, and he said those opportunities stemmed from her participation in JROTC.

Cabira and other speakers asked the board to reinstate the Monticello program for at least one more year to allow enrollment to grow; they argued enrollment was low initially because the program began at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and that participation has since increased after the inclusion of freshmen.

Cabira also said he had found what he described as a contractual requirement for 12 months' notice before termination and urged the board to consider whether that notice period had been followed; that claim was presented as his research and was not verified during the meeting.

The public-comment speakers did not identify a specific board response or motion at the meeting; no formal board action to reinstate Junior ROTC was recorded in the transcript that night.