Preparation for life, an education and a career after high school graduation looks different for every student. That’s why it is important that Ohio lawmakers are moving toward recognizing the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps and National Defense Cadet Corps are career-technical education, too.

State Reps. Kevin Ritter, R-Marietta, and Ty Mathews, R-Findlay, were primary sponsors on House Bill 500, which has passed the House and been introduced in the state Senate.

It recognizes the JROTC and NDCC as career-technical education programs and says, “The department of education and workforce shall include in the calculation of a city, local, exempted village, or joint vocational school district’s career-technical education funding any program designated by the district as part of its career-technical education program.”

That’s good news for Buckeye State school districts.

“House Bill 500 is a modest, strategic change that better aligns one of Ohio’s strongest youth leadership and character programs with our statewide career readiness goals,” Ritter said. “By making JROTC eligible under the career tech umbrella, districts would have an additional incentive to maintain or expand these programs, knowing they can count toward their CTE portfolio.”

HB 500 passed the House unanimously. It is difficult to imagine there will be many hurdles in the state Senate on its way to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk.

Once it does, Ohio young people will have another reason to believe all paths are open to them here; and school districts will know they are supported in providing those paths.