St. John's Military School, located in Salina, Kansas, is a private boarding military school for male students from grades 6 to 12. It aims to develop students' academic and leadership skills in a "military environment" overseen by a President, Academic Dean and Commandant of Cadets. It has the capacity for approximately 220 students.
The year runs from late August to early May. St John's is normally one of the highest ranked JROTC programs in the United States.Because of SJMS' high AFI ranking they are allotted up to fifteen recommendations to the U.S. Military Academies.
The School Offers Honors classes in English, Biology, and Social Studies. AP Classes for college credit are offered in English, Pre-Calculus, Chemistry, U.S. History, Government, and Computer Science. The school also has a comprehensive set of elective courses for students entering the work force upon graduation.
History
The school is home to Troop 1, the oldest Boy Scout troop in America. The troop was organized January 21, 1910, by F. John Romanes, an instructor at St. John’s Military School, and was patterned after the English Boy Scouts.
St. John's Military School was used in the filming of Up the Academy. The 1980 movie was filmed entirely in Salina, mostly on the school's campus. This movie was a MAD Magazine spoof about military Boarding schools.
A wide range of abuse claims were filed in a federal lawsuit in March 2012. An amended complaint was filed by six sets of parents on behalf of cadets from California, Florida, Tennessee, Colorado, Texas and Illinois. The lawsuit was settled with undisclosed terms in March 2014, just before the trial was to start. According to court records, St. John's has settled fourteen previous abuse-related lawsuits filed since 2006. Salina Police Department and Kansas Department for Children and Families did not file criminal charges in any of these cases. More recent records have found there have been 339 complaints of beatings, hazing, harassment, and abuse over 5 years, including branding students.
Accreditations and Memberships
St. John's is accredited by AdvancED and the Kansas State Department of Education. It is a member of the National Association of Episcopal Schools and the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States.
Junior ROTC Program
The school has an Army JROTC. The JROTC Department also sponsors the rifle and drill teams.
The 125th Corps of Cadets received a perfect score of 1,000 points on their annual formal inspection. It was the first perfect score in the school's history, and very few military schools have ever received a perfect score. Previously, their highest score was a 999. "To qualify as a JROTC Honor Unit with Distinction, a school must earn a minimum of 950 out of a possible 1,000 points. St. John's Military School has earned this designation for more than 20 consecutive years. It permits St. John's to make up to three recommendations to each of the service academies: United States Merchant Marine Academy, United States Military Academy, United States Naval Academy, United States Coast Guard Academy,and United States Air Force Academy."
Athletics and Activities
St. John's competes on the junior varsity and varsity levels with other independent and public schools.
The interscholastic sports are:
- Football
- Soccer
- Cross Country
- Basketball
- Wrestling
- Golf
- Baseball
- Tennis
- Rifle Team
Notable alumni
- Mark Cerney, founder of the Next of Kin Registry (NOKR) model
- Dean Hargrove, television producer, writer, and director
References
External links
- Official website