Do I feel a Draft?

Automatic enrollment in ROTC provokes protest at high school
By MARK SOMMER
News Staff Reporter
10/6/2005

Wendy Van Scoter, a Lovejoy area resident, says her 14-year-old daughter, Jennifer Brown, was placed in Junior ROTC without her knowledge. She said she never received a letter from the school.

Unless they opted out, freshmen at Hutchinson-Central Technical High School were automatically enrolled this fall in Junior ROTC.
About 300 parents of freshmen received letters in August, informing them their children would be enrolled in the daily, 42-minute program unless they objected before the start of school. About 190 students at the school on South Elmwood Avenue were in the program when classes began. The number dropped to 157 following objections by parents and students, who were reassigned to study hall.

As to the legality of this practice?

State education law says "enrollment and participation in [Junior ROTC] is voluntary on the part of the student, and written consent of a parent or guardian is [required]."

Principal David Greco, a strong supporter of Junior ROTC, said he believes the policy is legal and does not violate state education law.

"I don't feel I have done anything wrong," Greco said. "Any parent that didn't comply in time with their child was processed out of the class in a reasonable manner."

Greco said he was following a little-known provision of the federal No Child Left Behind law - and not the state law on Junior ROTC - that makes federal funding for schools contingent on providing the military with student contact lists. Also under the law, the schools are required to let students and/or their parents opt off such lists.

Hm. "Providing the military with student contact lists" = "Automatic enrollment in Jr. ROTC"
Not how I'd have chosen to interpret it.

Here's a site explaining the NCLB provision, and how to opt out of the contact lists, among other things:
http://www.leavemychildalone.com/