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District hosting JROTC meeting

| February 4, 2025 1:00 AM

Lake Pend Oreille School District is hosting a second informational meeting for parents to learn more about Sandpoint High School’s new Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program.

This week’s meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 6 p.m. in the Sandpoint Middle School cafeteria. If you have additional questions, contact SHS educator Kyle Olmstead, an event organizer and JROTC instructor, at kyle.olmstead@lposd.org.

“There’s a lot of excitement from the kids about doing this,” Olmstead said, adding that parents, meanwhile, are asking about cost, the impact on extracurricular activities and time commitment.

There is no cost to participate in JROTC, one of the country’s largest citizenship and character development programs. The Army covers the cost of uniforms, equipment — such as air rifles, drones and robots — and some of the instructor’s salary. It’s considered an elective class, meaning students choose to take it as part of their course load. JROTC will not limit students from participating in extracurricular sports, band, student government or any other club.

SHS learned in December that it was awarded the honor of establishing the state’s second Army JROTC program. The district hosted its first informational meeting Jan. 9, attended by about 100 parents and students.

“Some parents are calling and worried that they may not be able to sign up and participate,” Olmstead said. “And there are a lot of emails saying they couldn’t make the first meeting, but they really want their kids involved in this.”

All North Idaho students are eligible to participate. Students who attend JROTC have an advantage in being accepted to and nominated for our country's Service Academies; earn advanced rank if they choose to enter any of the military branches; and have an advantage in receiving college scholarships.