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I'm NOT a band director and ADMIT to great ignorance (no controversy intended !), so please put STRONG emphasis on the words >> "I've wondered" << in the first sentence of the following post:
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I've always wondered (???) if baritone/euphonium beginners should have those instruments supplied by the school (at least, for the first year or two), and be required (as much as teachers can encourage/require parents to rent trumpets/clarinets/flutes/alto saxes/etc.) to rent/buy beginner trombones.
Though this could be difficult logistically (having trombone stands sitting by the band room's baritone-euphonium/trombone chairs, and those students having to unpack two instruments), having them play their exercises on both instruments (as all numbered exercises are repeated numerous times in virtually all beginner band classes) encourages this natural double from day #1.
It also puts more emphasis on tuning (via the playing slide), and supplies the high school band with a wider selection of trombonists for the jazz band's trombone section - and more options for the concert/marching bands, as well.
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warning: feather ruffling possible, but no harm meant !!!
As elementary/intermediate-level trombone technique is a bit more difficult to master than baritone/euphonium technique - at the same level, those who seem to encounter more difficulty mastering the trombone (but who still demonstrate good potential) could be encouraged towards the baritone/euphonium...(??)
(Anyone possibly tending to take this personally should know that my own trombone playing slide technique is NOT very good.)
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Finally (in adult life), are there not more places/opportunities (regardless of whether amateur or paid) for trombonists to enjoy performing music than for *baritone/euphonium players - so - for the post-schooling majority of their lives - more options would be open to them...(??)
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*community bands, service bands, large polka bands...' much of anywhere else...??

I picked up baritone in 8th grade as a football instrument, and even then I thought (as a woodwind player) it was so much like trombone that I borrowed a friend's trombone occasionally to be sure I learned how to deal with the slide.

As you suggest, I played trombone a couple of years in high school jazz band, which was a lot more fun than not playing in jazz band.

Whether or not that should be the normal way of things, I can't say.

I think it would be great if kids who are interested were encouraged to play more than one instrument, even unrelated instruments. Unfortunately, besides the extra money, that interferes with many modern bands' practice of drilling students into contest-winning performances. Learning more about other instruments, or more about music, costs valuable time.