Jeremy White is an energetic homeschooled teen who enjoys outdoor activities and spending time with his siblings biking, hunting, and doing manual labor. Recognizing that Jeremy thrives in physical activity and hands-on work, his mother, Kathy White, thought that enrolling him in the local public high school’s Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (JROTC) would be a great fit (names changed for privacy).

But when she reached out to the county’s Homeschooling Student Services, officials said that while he could participate in the program orientation before school started as a way to preview the program, Maryland law prohibited homeschooled students from accessing public school classes and extracurriculars.

So Kathy contacted HSLDA.

“We pointed out to the school that because JROTC is federally funded, it actually comes under federal regulations,” said Tj Schmidt, HSLDA senior counsel. “And those regulations declare that homeschooled students who are otherwise qualified for a local JROTC program cannot be excluded. Protecting the right of homeschooled students to participate in their local JROTC programs is something that HSLDA has worked on whenever this issue has come up on a federal level.”

Legacy of Service

Jeremy attended public school before he switched to homeschooling two years ago. At the time, recalled Kathy, even the public school’s honors classes failed to challenge Jeremy academically.

“We were concerned that he wasn’t going to learn much,” she said.

The change to homeschooling allowed Jeremy to accelerate his learning by taking advanced courses that were not available in his previous educational setting. To augment Jeremy’s academics, Kathy began looking for more structured opportunities that built on his interests and activities he already enjoys.

JROTC became a possibility when Jeremy entered the 9th grade this school year. One reason Kathy wanted to explore entering her son in the program is that it promotes many of the ideals she and her husband value: patriotism, self-discipline, and teamwork. Plus, as a cadet, Jeremy would feel a connection to family members who have served in the military and to his 18-year-old brother, who will join the Navy later this year.

When Kathy checked into signing Jeremy up for JROTC, the local unit’s instructor, a retired lieutenant colonel, was open to his participation as the first homeschooled student in the unit. However, several other school officials rebuffed her, claiming that state law prohibited public schools from accommodating homeschool students.

Jeremy did attend the weeklong JROTC Summer Leadership and Orientation, which was open to any interested students. When he confirmed his wish to attend an upcoming field trip, however, officials said liability concerns precluded him from participating.

By then, Jeremy had seen enough to make him want to join.

“I had done a lot of research,” Kathy said. “I knew for a fact that homeschool students are eligible for JROTC.”

That’s when she asked HSLDA to intervene.

Closer Look at the Law

Schmidt wrote to the district’s central administration office, laying out the federal regulations governing JROTC.

“These rules are clear,” Schmidt noted. “A homeschool student who lives within a district that offers JROTC is eligible to participate as long as he meets the qualifications all students have to meet, like following a code of conduct.”

He also flagged a federal consequence for the district’s awareness.

“I told them that if they don’t follow federal law,” Schmidt recalled, “the secretary of defense could suspend or place their school’s program on probation.”

Shortly after hearing from Schmidt, the school reached out to Kathy to say Jeremy was cleared to join JROTC. Since then, said Kathy, “they’ve been very warm and welcoming.”

Jeremy, meanwhile, has enthusiastically embraced his new role as a cadet. He’s made friends and volunteered to serve in the flag squad, and even told his mother he’s willing to spend his own money to keep his hair cut to military standards.

“When I pick him up from class, he always has a story,” Kathy observed. “Even if he decides not to join the military, he still gets a lot out of it. I’m so grateful to HSLDA. This is life-changing.”