Schools consider policy on military

NEEDHAM -- The uniformed soldiers sit in booths off to the side of bustling cafeterias in high schools across the nation. It can be lonely duty, such as in Needham, where only one graduate opted to enlist in the military this spring.

But David Rhoads, who has two sons who graduated from Needham High, wants the school to bar recruiters from setting up shop in the cafeteria. Rhoads contends that their presence there promotes the war in Iraq.

``This is advertising," said Rhoads. ``This is not recruiting. This is getting students used to the military being around and being the good guys, not destroying a country."

His concerns have prompted school officials to consider establishing a policy on where and when recruiters from any organization can operate on campus.

The federal No Child Left Behind law requires schools to provide the military the same access to students available to other potential employers and higher education institutions. The law also gives military recruiters access to students' names, addresses, and telephone numbers, although parents and students can request that such information not be released.

Under an unwritten policy, Needham has allowed representatives from colleges, employers, and the military to recruit on the property twice a year.

The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard each are allowed two visits. Only the military recruiters have chosen to set up booths in the cafeteria.

School Committee vice chairman Donald Gratz has begun drafting a policy that calls for recruiters to make arrangements ahead of time. The school could bar a recruiter if it has reason to believe the visit could lead to a disturbance. If turned away, the recruiter could appeal to the superintendent or School Committee.

Still being formulated, the draft as yet does not address questions of how often and where groups could recruit.

``What we've heard before is that the military sets up in the cafeteria and very few students go up to them," said Gratz . ``The other point of view is that this is advertising, like a billboard. We have to look into that."

He said Needham could limit visits to a designated career day or restrict recruiters to rooms away from highly public areas. The School Committee plans to discuss the issue at its Sept. 5 meeting .

Rhoads first proposed a written policy on recruiters last year, after administrators denied his request to set up a booth near the military recruiters with ``Before You Enlist" ads and leaflets about peacekeeping organizations.

Rhoads, who appeared before the committee again Tuesday, said the booths enable the military to start influencing students in their freshman year. The legal age to enlist is 17 with parental consent.

By comparison, college recruiters typically hold conferences in classrooms with students who make appointments .

The military recruiters ``sit in the cafeteria with no context," Rhoads said. In an interview later, he said he would not object to the military using conference rooms.

While some School Committee members also expressed concerns about the issue of context, member Michael Greis feared the cafeteria could become a free-for-all among groups trying to solicit teenagers. He suggested the rules specify that only groups offering post-high school educational or work opportunities be allowed to recruit on campus.

Gratz said that in his research for the policy he found few districts have policies on recruiting.

Newton barred organizations from setting up booths in the cafeteria after an antismoking campaign last year displayed graphic photographs in the South High dining hall, said Assistant Superintendent Brenda Keegan. At Newton South, recruiters from colleges, military, and businesses meet with students in the career center. At Newton North, all recruiters, including military, set up booths at an evening college fair.

In Natick, the high school's guidance department chairwoman, Jan Parsons, said the school has no written restrictions on military recruiters. She said some staff members have raised concerns about how often recruiters visit. The military typically recruits near the cafeteria. No students enlisted last year, she said.

Major Charles Cody , commander of recruiting and retention for the Massachusetts Army National Guard, said he hasn't noticed a widespread pattern of schools clamping down on recruitment. He has 80 recruiters on staff, each serving two to four high schools. Cody said he instructs recruiters not to press the issue with schools that are not welcoming, and not to engage in debates.

Major Winfield Danielson , public affairs officer for the Massachusetts National Guard, defended the booths as advertising vehicles for the military, not foreign policy.

``We have to market to get the quality of people we need," Danielson said. ``We're asking for the same access that colleges and civilian businesses have."