When Angelina Silva approached school administrators about her daughter Anabella's desire to join JROTC, HSLDA Attorney Will Estrada said they told her no because she is homeschooled.
Anabella Silva has thrived in the home school environment. Her parents began homeschooling her and her older siblings in response to the closing of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, Angelina Silva told HSLDA. The Silva’s five older children have since graduated.
Annabella currently takes dual-enrollment classes at a local community college. She hopes to earn an associate’s degree in the administration of justice by the time she turns 17.
The JROTC experience could help further her growth if not blocked by the local school. It was unblocked after HSLDA stepped in.
Will Estrada, Director of Federal Relations for HSLDA, explains.
When the Silvas were initially turned away, "I then wrote a letter to the high school, and I'm pleased to report that within a few weeks after that, they reversed course, and this young woman, this home school student, is currently enrolled in the JROTC program," he said.
Because of a change to the National Defense Authorization Act in 2020, the law is clearly with the Silvas in this instance.
"Actually, we have been very busy around the country in educating public schools about this 2020 change to the National Defense Authorization Act,” Estrada says.
The change was a couple of years in the making.
Home Educators Association of Virginia began working on JROTC access for homeschoolers in 2018. The group introduced a bill in 2019, and the 2020 version of the NDAA – the legislation that annually funds the military – included protections for homeschoolers seeking to join local JROTC programs.
A sister's inspiration
Estrada says Anabella was inspired to join the Corps because an older sister currently serves in the U.S. Air Force.
The school was initially slow to respond to Angelina Sliva’s request. When they did, they encouraged her to enroll her daughter in the district’s charter school.
The school reversed its position, and Annabella was enrolled in JROTC by the beginning of the school year.
Annabella is “really excited. The other students in the program have been very welcoming,” Angelina Silva said.
