Truth in Recruitment Spring Fundraiser

Our efforts began in 2011 when Santa Barbara High School (SBHS) students spoke out against the prevalence of military recruiters as guest speakers in classes and their casual presence on campus. In 2014, as a culmination of our two-year campaign, the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) school board passed a policy regulating recruiters’ access to students. The policy guidelines include: limiting recruiters to two visits a year with no more than three recruiters at a time; no solicitation of student contact information directly from students. TIR has continued to partner with the SBUSD to oversee the policy’s implementation and create a documentation system for violations and monitoring recruiter campus visits. 

In Santa Maria, we have worked with community members to advocate for a similar policy to regulate recruiter access in the Santa Maria Joint Unified High School District (SMJUHSD) and for equal access for TIR. In 2018, an on-campus National Guard recruiting office at Santa Maria High School was closed due to our California Public Records Act request that revealed that the office violated district policies. This affected our relationship with the SMJUHSD and they informed us that TIR was not invited to table at career fairs due to “the content of [our] presentation.” Throughout 2019, TIR worked with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California (ACLU) to establish TIR’s equal access to high schools in Santa Maria. After the ACLU wrote to the Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO) about the situation, the SBCEO informed SMJUHSD that they would no longer support career fairs where the military was present if TIR was not allowed. 

In 2020, TIR staff, steering committee, parent and student allies met with SMJUHSD Superintendent Antonio Garcia to discuss military presence in Santa Maria schools. He expressed concern regarding violations of students’ rights to privacy that we reported to him and the need for equitable information about career options. We have had subsequent conversations with SMJUHSD school board member Diana Perez to advocate for a district recruiter policy.

In June 2020, TIR and the Santa Barbara Friends Meeting’s Peace committee met with U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal to discuss our call for the abolishment of the Selective Service System. The Town Hall featured panelists including youth, veterans, a parent, and a conscientious objector who addressed the implications of an expanded military draft, highlighting its coercive aspects. 

Funding to maintain TIR staff and to build our steering committee will support our long-term effort to develop a coalition of north county students, parents, veterans, teachers, and social justice organizations to secure equal access for TIR in the SMJUHSD schools and pass a school board policy regulating recruiter presence. To support these goals, we are meeting with school board members, the district superintendent, coalition partners, and a national network of groups strategizing counter recruitment methods in schools during this time of virtual instruction. We are also focused on building  our steering community, with an emphasis on recruiting a more diverse body of members and enhancing our sustainability.