Parents and supporters of Murray County Schools’ JROTC program hope to save the three-decade-old program from the budget ax despite school system plans to chop it.
The program plan stoked complaints from parents, prompted the launch of a “Save JROTC for Murray County Schools!” Facebook page and roused supporters to hold fundraisers.
Parent Wendy Collins said a couple of fundraisers already are set up and others could be organized over the next few days.
A yard sale is planned for June 19 at the Murray County Senior Center, and a wrestling show is set for June 25 to help raise part of the $124,000-plus needed to revive the JROTC program for next year, Mrs. Collins said.
Mrs. Collins said she reached an agreement with School Superintendent Dr. Vickie Reed a couple of weeks ago that, if supporters can raise the money, Dr. Reed would ask school board members to consider reinstating the program.
“We were very upset about it being cut,” Mrs. Collins said. She said JROTC has been a godsend for her son, who has grown and matured in the program.
“The child babysits his brothers, drives himself to school, and now he’s looking for a job,” she said. “He’s gotten saved, he goes to church every Sunday. Seven months ago, there’s no way he would have done that.”
But Mrs. Collins is worried about the ticking clock. Supporters have only a couple of months to raise the money before the school system’s budget is finalized, she said.
Murray Schools spokesman Dean Donehoo said the system simply is out of money for the program, which doesn’t have the student interest it once had.
If supporters raise the money by late July, the JROTC program could survive another year, but Mr. Donehoo said the superintendent would like to see a plan for keeping it funded into the future.
HOW TO HELPA yard sale to benefit the Murray County JROTC program is planned for June 19 at the Murray County Senior Center from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The center is at 820G Maddox Parkway in Chatsworth, Ga. Activities and a wrestling show are set for June 25 from 6 to 10 p.m. in a warehouse building behind the AutoZone on Second Avenue in Chatsworth. Participants can enjoy activities from 6 to 8 p.m., and the wrestling will run from 8 to 10 p.m.
“It doesn’t really benefit the students unless we can have some continuation,” he said.
In the current economy, fundraising is “a tough row to hoe, right now,” he said.
The program cost $123,581 last year, of which the U.S. Army provided $51,047 toward salaries and benefits for the minimum two instructors, he said. It would take closer to $125,000 to fund the program at one school for one year, he said.
Mrs. Collins said she hoped to negotiate with school officials on whether a partial boost in funding could save the program while more fundraising continues. She said she also wanted to find out more about what kinds of grants are available.
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