MONTICELLO, FL — UPDATE 7/15/25:
On Tuesday morning, Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Jackie Pons provided ABC 27 with a statement and letter from the U.S. Army on the JROTC program being placed on probation.
"In May I received the attached notification that our JROTC program was being placed on probation. I immediately contacted our Senior Officer to inform him and share my concerns. I also let him know that this was not up to my expectations as Superintendent. The probation letter references compliance issues dating all the way back to 2020. I informed him that if he was interested in continuing with our program, that he would have to reapply along with an explanation and plan for how we would get the program off of probation. We have made progress but have recently been informed that the probation will remain in effect for the 2025-2026 school year. As Superintendent, I am committed to making sure that we save our JROTC program and that we fully comply with the requirements of the US Army."
ORIGINAL STORY:
Two Jefferson County JROTC instructors are calling out the school district, claiming their dismissal violates a state law designed to protect veterans.
- Florida law requires public employers to prioritize veterans for hiring and retention when equally qualified.
- First Sgt. Terry Walker and Capt. Kevin White say they were not reappointed without explanation.
- Watch the video below to hear responses from school board members.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Two veterans who taught JROTC at Jefferson County High School say the district violated state law by not renewing their contracts.
I’m Lentheus Chaney in the Monticello neighborhood, where both men took their fight public at the school board meeting.
Neither First Sergeant Terry Walker and Captain Kevin White—both disabled veterans—have received a reappointment notice from Jefferson County Schools for the upcoming school year.
They say this decision violates Florida’s Veterans’ Preference law. It requires public employers—including public school systems—to give hiring and retention priority to eligible veterans.
Chapter 295 of the Florida Statutes spells out those protections: veterans should be retained over non-veterans when qualifications are equal.
I spoke with both men before Monday’s meeting.
“Everybody needs to be treated fair and everybody needs to be respected and hopefully the board and the leadership would do that,” First Sergeant Terry Walker said.
Walker has spent over a decade teaching at Jefferson High, while White, who joined the program two years ago, says he stayed in Jefferson to be close to his son, a student on the autism spectrum. He also says he wants to keep doing the work he loves: enriching the lives of young people.
"I’m not in this for the money. The money is great. The money is great. The money allows me to do things for my family. The main thing for me is the fact that my son goes to Jefferson,” Captain Kevin White said.
During public comment, neighbors—including Walker and White—spoke out about the loss of their jobs and the broader impact on other veterans employed by the district.
“The superintendent and school board community every decision in the best interest of the students actions are telling a different story,” White said.
“I’m standing here before you tonight for me to continue to fight for future leaders—our kids,” Walker said.
“Vengeance is part of the problem that we have here with these non-reappointments,” neighbor Reverend Terry Presley said.
And final words on the matter from the board…
“If staff wasn’t appointed, there was a reason,” District 1 school board member Joy Frisby said.
“We can only act on the recommendations of the superintendent,” District 5 school board member Mags Flynt said.
No board member addressed the state statute or any possible violations. However, Superintendent Pons stated that the JROTC program would not fail on his watch. I’ll keep you updated on developments as I learn more. In Monticello, I’m Lentheus Chaney, ABC27.
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