Gretchen Hoffman
GLENDALE -- School board members are looking for facts before they
will decide on a proposal to move a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps
program to Glendale High.
The board was presented with conflicting enrollment numbers for the
Crescenta Valley High program at a Tuesday meeting to discuss the fate of
the ailing program. For example, ROTC officials reported there 103 cadets
enrolled in 2000, while the district reported there were 80.
Currently, there are more than 60 students in the program -- a far cry
from the 100 the Air Force requires. But whether enrollment in the
program has been dwindling steadily or was a result of leadership changes
in the 2000-2001 school year depends on who's providing the numbers.
The proposal on the table is to move the program from Crescenta Valley
to Glendale High. Glendale High could have a "more viable chance" to
recruit the required students due to its larger number of students and
its access to two feeder middle schools, according to a report prepared
by Mary McKee, assistant superintendent of educational services.
But parents, students and staff involved in the program are asking for
more time to recruit additional cadets. When the cadets learned of the
proposal to move the program last week, they recruited 13 students in
three days. They gathered more than 1,000 signatures on petitions against
the move during the same time, Squadron Commander Matthew Harley said.
School board members asked for a variety of information with the new
report, including the cost of beginning an ROTC program affiliated with
the Marines or Army at Glendale High.
"This district has always felt that this was a most worthwhile
program," school board member Jeanne Bentley said.
Low enrollment, however, has had a "drastic effect" on the master
schedule of classes at Crescenta Valley High, Co-principal Gary Talbert
said.
"When the numbers are low, even though we love the program, it makes
us nervous," he added.
Gathering the information to make an informed decision could take
several weeks, Supt. James Brown said.
