Printer-friendly Version

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 4, 2004

SCHUMER ASKS AIR FORCE JUNIOR ROTC TO GIVE STATEN ISLAND UNIT TIME TO BOOST ENROLLMENT

Senator urges AFJROTC to reconsider Staten Island high school unit's deactivation and give local program another year to recruit participants

The Petrides School and its new principal have already taken steps improve both its ROTC program and its communication with the Air Force

US Senator Charles Schumer today asked the Director of Air Force Junior ROTC (AFJROTC) to keep the Junior ROTC program at The Petrides School on Staten Island in activated status. The program at the Petrides School, Unit NY-20001, has been scheduled to be deactivated at the end of this school year because of an insufficient number of enrolled participants.

"Steps are being taken to increase the number of students enrolled in the program and I believe that the school should be given another year of probation," Schumer wrote today to US Air Force Colonel Sam Barr, the Director of the AFROTC. Schumer urged Barr to consider the current cadets in the Petrides program, who "deserve the opportunity to continue learning and serving through the Air Force Junior ROTC."

In October, Col. Barr requested enrollment estimates for the 2004-2005 academic year from Michelle Fratti, Superintendent of District 81, the district where The Petrides School is located. Col. Barr told Superintendent Fratti that the enrollment of 57 students was far below the minimum requirement of 100 cadets or 10 percent of the school population, whichever is less. Under current rules, the Petrides School, which has almost 1200 students, would require a Junior ROTC enrollment of 100 students to remain activated.

Col. Barr began the deactivation process on March 10, 2004, after School District 81 failed to reply to Colonel Barr's inquiries. Due to lack of communication between The Petrides School and District 81, no enrollment estimates at all were sent to Colonel Barr.

Since Joanne Buckheit joined the school as Principal in early April, the school has begun to take steps to improve the communication between the Superintendent's office. More important, additional students have already begun to enroll in the program. Schumer detailed the school's efforts to recruit new members and reminded Col. Barr of the importance of this unit at The Petrides School and to Staten Island, which has more veterans as a percentage of the total population than any nearby New York county.

"Junior ROTC programs are a cornerstone of the important effort to attract talented, young people to military careers, thus strengthening our armed services and our national defense. The Air Force Junior ROTC program is a hallmark for The Petrides School and provides invaluable learning experiences and skills to all of the cadets," Schumer wrote.

###