Hays Consolidated Independent School District (Hays CISD) is pleased to announce that its application has been approved and the paperwork has been signed to start an Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) program at Johnson High School beginning in August 2026. The district has been working to achieve approval for this program since 2017, during the planning phase for Johnson High School – a full two years before construction on the campus was even completed in 2019. It generally takes a number of years, depending on the length of the wait-list, to earn approval for an Air Force JROTC program.

Johnson High School will begin immediately recruiting students who are interested in joining the program. The campus will need at least 50 cadets to start. Johnson High School parents and students will receive a link in their email accounts to sign up for the program, if they are interested.

“This has been a long time coming, but well worth the wait,” said Hays CISD Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright. “We believe the AFJROTC program will find an excellent home at Johnson High School and we are excited that students will have this opportunity.

The approval process for Johnson High School to be awarded an AFJROTC Unit required an application, a site visit, and an affirmative vote of the AFJROTC Unit Activation Board. Additionally, the district committed to hiring the two necessary instructors, who would include a former commissioned officer (either retired, separated, or Guard/Reserve) and a former enlisted member who both have earned AFJROTC instructor certification.

This is the third JROTC program in Hays CISD. Currently, Hays High School hosts a Marine JROTC unit, and Lehman High School is the proud home of a Navy JROTC unit.

More about AFJROTC from (https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104476/air-force-junior-reserve-officer-training-corps/):

AFJROTC provides citizenship training and an Aerospace Science program for high school students. Secondary school students who enroll in the AFJROTC program are offered a wide variety of curricular and co-curricular activities. The program explores the historic and scientific aspects of aerospace technology and teaches high school students self-reliance, self-discipline and other leadership characteristics. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics concepts are also an important part of this world class program. The AFJROTC program is open to 8th-12th grade students. By Title 10 United States Code, the program is a citizenship program and not chartered as a recruiting program for the military services. Those students who participate in AFJROTC do not incur any military obligation.

AFJROTC objectives are to educate and train high school cadets in citizenship and life skills, promote community service, instill a sense of responsibility and develop character, leadership and self-discipline through education and instruction in air and space fundamentals and the Air Force’s core values of Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence In All We Do

Photo credit: Stock photo courtesy Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD AFJROTC, Tim Savoy/2002.