Even here at Buffalo, where we have only 300 students, there's no room available. The county school board on Tuesday agreed to consider proposals to introduce ROTC, which administrators at all four high school praise. But only Poca High Principal John Cunningham said he has space that might meet requirements. The military has to inspect and approve classrooms, said Sgt. Major Gordon Dillon , commander of the Army ROTC program at Capital High School in Kanawha County.
Security is an issue.
Dillon introduced ROTC in Kanawha County seven years ago, when other teachers were skeptical, he said. Now 90 enrollees strong at Capital High and expanded to others schools, ROTC offers an alternative for students who don't fit into other programs or activities, he said. His drill commander came into the program with a 1.1 grade point average that he has pulled up to a 3.6 grade point average as a senior, Dillon said. It's that kind of report that makes the program even more attractive to school administrators, like Poca's Cunningham. But he also sees the military as a career option.