HEB ISD board hears plan for Navy cadet program; district approved to start NNDCC in August 2025

Hurst‑Euless‑Bedford ISD has been approved by the U.S. Navy to begin a Naval National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) in August 2025, district staff told the board during a presentation that outlined recruitment, schedule and funding plans.

Sonya Stanton, who led the presentation, said the district will operate the initial program with district funding and aim to reach 100 cadets for two consecutive school years; achieving that threshold would enable conversion to a fully funded Navy Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program, which the district hopes to secure by fall 2027.

Why it matters: The program introduces a military‑style leadership and citizenship curriculum districtwide and will be offered to eighth through eleventh graders; district staff said the program is intended to support leadership, teamwork and post‑secondary opportunities and to be open to all students, not as a recruiting tool.

Program approval and timeline Stanton told the board the district’s application was accepted in June and the NNDCC squadron will start in August 2025. “This process has been a long time coming,” Stanton said. She described outreach to local mayors, Red River Recruiting District advisors and Navy leadership, and noted earlier ROTC scholarship awards to local students helped build relationships that supported the application.

Funding, equipment and recruitment Staff said district funding will pay for the initial NNDCC program. Stanton and Master Chief Alex Rinconis reported $15,000 has been raised so far; about $5,100 has already been spent on color‑guard equipment. Stanton said the district also received $10,000 in local support last year (identified in the presentation as a prior district allocation), a $5,000 grant from Texas Trust, and a pending grant application with Bell Helicopter.

Rinconis, a retired command master chief who will serve as the program’s instructor, described recruiting activity at junior high campuses and visits to neighboring JROTC programs. “At this point now, we have 70 plus students who have signed up or inquired about this already,” he said. Staff said recruitment and planning will continue across junior highs and high schools this spring; the district plans to bus ninth‑grade cadets to the Bueinger (BCT/A or district career/technical facility identified in the presentation) for specific class periods.

Program scope and participation Stanton said the NNDCC and future JROTC will be open to eighth through eleventh graders with a goal to prioritize ninth and tenth graders so students can remain in the program. The district plans one HEB squadron, multiple class periods (first through fifth period and seventh period options were shown) and after‑school opportunities for drill and competitions. Stanton emphasized the program uses Navy curriculum but does not require students to later join the military.

Community roles and next steps Staff said they will continue fundraising for uniforms and equipment and will pursue volunteer support from veterans groups and community partners. Board members asked about certification criteria for conversion to JROTC, program capacity based on classroom seats (presenters said rooms near the Bueinger have about 28 seats each), and how turnover in the first year would affect the 100‑cadet threshold; staff clarified the 100 number is the total enrolled cadets and not necessarily the exact same students for both years.

No board motion was required; staff said they will continue recruitment, finalize bus schedules and report back as planning continues.