One of two founders of the popular Naval Junior ROTC program at
San Benito High School resigned abruptly last month with just two
months left in the school year.
One of two founders of the popular Naval Junior ROTC program at San Benito High School resigned abruptly last month with just two months left in the school year.
Chief William Stratmann resigned March 31. It was unclear what led to his resignation, and school officials phoned by the Free Lance would not say if the school administration asked him to leave.
School board President Shelley Donati confirmed Stratmann’s resignation, but she said she wasn’t aware of the details.
“I don’t (know specifics),” she said. “And it’s a personnel matter, so I can’t discuss it.”
School administrators – including Superintendent Jean Burns Slater and Principal Duane Morgan – were out this week on spring break. They could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Another school board member, Bill Tiffany, also declined to comment on the resignation
Asked if he knew reasons why Stratmann left, Tiffany said, “None that I could talk about. It’s a personnel matter.”
The local president of the California Teachers Association, Clete Bradford, said he was unaware of reasons for Stratmann’s departure.
“I really don’t know what’s going on, to tell you the truth,” Bradford said.
Bradford said Stratmann was an employee of both the school district and the Navy, and that his salary was split between the two.
When called at his listed phone number Wednesday, Stratmann’s line had been disconnected.
Stratmann and Cmdr. Larry Chizek started the program at the outset of the 2002-03 school year. Chizek departed for unknown reasons before this school year – he also could not be reached.
Cmdr. Dean Whetstine has since taken over the top ranking position at San Benito High in 2003-04. Phone calls placed to his house went unanswered Wednesday.
Last year’s program booster club president John Lisius commended Stratmann’s devotion to the school. He also expressed confidence in a future under Whetstine’s guidance.
Regarding Stratmann’s abrupt departure, though, he said, “I just can’t imagine what happened.”
At its outset, the program – with a student enrollment nearing 200 – created widespread enthusiasm throughout the school community.
This year, there were somewhere between 150-200 students enrolled at the start of the school year. But that number has dwindled to about 110, according to Assistant Superintendent Mike Robustelli.
Robustelli doesn’t believe the program’s future is in jeopardy. Though the current enrollment is “perilously close to the magic number” of 100 students the Navy desires to keep such programs running, he said.
Students in the program were told to expect a substitute in Stratmann’s place for the remainder of the school year, according to sophomore Tiphani Marquez, the “operations officer” who plans field trips and other activities.
“A lot of the students were upset,” Marquez said. “Because we were really, really close to him.”
Marquez said Stratmann’s tendency to stay long hours at school showed his dedication to the job and the students. Students hope any speculation circulating the campus diffuses, she said.
The Naval Junior ROTC takes the place of physical education among requirements for students. Robustelli called it “vocational ed” – with a primary objective of preparing students for responsibilities of holding a job, he said.
Experience in the program also counts toward future military training, if students choose to go that route. Marquez said two years in the high school program earns students a “higher grade” at the outset of joining the military.
The program’s students have also taken part in local parades, including the most recent Veterans Day Parade in November.
Richard Herrera, the San Benito County Veterans Coalition president, called the Naval Junior ROTC “one of the best groups there.” He also expressed disappointment at Stratmann’s resignation.
