Overton School Board Continuing Work On JROTC Application Process

After two months of gathering information on a possible JROTC program at Livingston Academy, the Overton School Board is ready to submit an application.

Chair Mike Hayes said that officials spent time with Clarkrange and York Institute Officials to see their program.

“It talks a lot about leadership, discipline,” Hayes said. “And it offers extracurricular activities for those kids that don’t want to do football or basketball or any other sports. And it just gives our kids more options for extracurricular activities and explores different career paths in their futures.”

Hayes said that the visit to the campuses provided insight into what is required to run a successful program. He said that they need to ensure they have good instructors, a steady student interest, and enough space.

“Across the country, there are allotted only so many JRTOC programs,” Hayes said. “So if we’re approved we’re on a waiting list. It could happen next month, it could happen a year from now, we don’t know. So the big thing is to get the approval and get on the waiting list and then at that point we can have further conversations about the timing of all that.”

Hayes said that the next steps will be to continue filling out the application and sending it in.