BERNE — Dennis Palow, a retired Army officer, told the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School Board on Monday that he has collected 32 signatures of students interested in a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program he wants to start at the high school.

He had approached the board last month about starting the program, which he estimated would cost about $66,000 annually for the first three years; after that, he said, the federal government would subsidize the cost provided the district enrolls more than 10 percent of the high school student body, which Palow estimates is 25 students.

He told the board on Monday that students were interested and asked many questions about the program, and that a large portion of the interested students were females.

Secondary School Principal Mark Pitterson said at Monday’s meeting that the next step would be to poll the parents of the students. He said he would likely send a survey out with progress reports at the end of this semester.

Palow said at the November board meeting that the annual cost of the program would be $66,852, including about $53,000 for his own salary. He said he was able to mark down the price by not including the purchase of rifles for the first year, by being already certified, and by using a classroom with equipment like computers when another staff member is not using it.

Palow currently receives retirement pay of $27, 928. If he were to teach JROTC, he would receive Military Incentive Pay, which includes active-duty pay, a housing allowance, and a clothing allowance for a total of $81,425.50. His retirement pay would be subtracted from that, meaning his pay for teaching JROTC at BKW would equal $53,497.50.

Board President Matthew Tedeschi suggested on Monday sharing a program with other schools to reduce costs for BKW; Palow said he would see if this were possible, perhaps with BKW operating as “headquarters” and other districts as “sister schools.” One difficulty could be assigning a student cadet commander with several different locations, he said.

“I can make it work,” he concluded.

Palow will be sworn in as a town board member in Berne in January.

School board member Kim Lovell asked over video-conference (as she was home sick) if there were other options for funding supplies for the program. Palow said the school could possibly receive grants or donations, but the district would ultimately be responsible for the cost for items such as uniforms, which he estimates would cost $11,000.

From the gallery, Martin Szinger, a parent in the district and former school board candidate, objected to what he saw as the board going along with a suggestion without question. He also objected to having Palow — who would be paid a salary by the district — collect data supporting the program; Szinger called that a conflict of interest.

“It’s something like ‘The Music Man’ to me,” he said, comparing the program to the con artist’s proposal in the musical.

Szinger said the board was focusing on whether the program was doable or not, rather than if it’s the best interest of the district or in the board’s priorities to establish it. He noted that the money could be spend on a number of different programs, giving an example of how he, a software programmer, could teach coding and “no one’s going to need rifles.”

Szinger asked each of the board members as well as the district’s superintendent, Timothy Mundell, what they would spend $66,000 on if they had the choice. Both Mundell and Tedeschi said they would spend it on technology and prioritize the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math.

Tedeschi also said he stood by his statement to The Enterprise about a month ago: He would approve the program if that is what students and parents in the district want. He added that the board’s decision-making is not “off the cuff.”

Board member Nathan Elble said he would spread the money around various programs. Board member Lillian Sisson-Chrysler said she agreed with Elble’s and Tedeschi’s ideas, but also asserted that — while she is reluctant to have the district spend $66,000 — a JROTC program would be an excellent thing to spend the money on. She noted that many districts have the program.

Board member Helen Lounsbury said she appreciated Szinger asking probing questions, but added that the board is still gathering data on the program. She also said she held Pitterson’s comments at the last board meeting in high regard; Pitterson had stated he felt the program would teach discipline and respect. Lovell said she would spend the hypothetical amount where she saw gaps in student achievement.

Mundell said that it would be best for the board to have options for all members of the community.

Other business

In addition, the board also:

— Discussed a suggestion by Elble to lengthen the school day in order to allow more time for lunch and recess. Lovell asked if this would affect collaboration time for teachers after school and if there have been observations by staff that extended lunch and recess are needed.

Mundell said, “It’s not a foreign thought,” and would look into how it would affect scheduling and after school activities;

— Heard from Mundell that the district is working with the Schoharie Area Superintendents Council to build a college-in-the-high-school program. Currently BKW offers college credits through the University in the High School program at the University at Albany and Advanced Placement course credits.

Because the State Education Department changed its rules on grants, the district can no longer work with the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill, but it is looking into participating in a Pathways in Technology Early College High School program that is being established at BOCES. Known as P-TECH, it gives students the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree in high school, he said;

— Authorized the superintendent to develop an after-school program at the elementary school. Called the “Bulldog Club,” it would begin in February and run from 2:45 p.m. to 5 p.m., offering supervised homework sessions as well activities in science and other fields. Mundell said the program will be partially funded with federal aid; and

— Saw a presentation by Deb Rosco, BKW’s food service director, who explained the nutrition regulations under the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, which led to a decrease in student participation; the formula for calculating meal costs, and the process of planning the meals for next year in the coming months.

She said the school sees 140 students receive breakfast and 340 receive lunch through the school; of that, 51 percent participate in the federal free-lunch program, 30 to 40 percent pay in full, and the rest are part of the federal reduced-price lunch program.

“We don’t want to confuse cuisine with nutrition,” she said. “And we are very proud of what we do.”