CALN — There will be a fundraiser Wednesday, Aug. 1 at the Thorndale Inn to raise funds to help save the Junior ROTC program at Coatesville Area High School.
Earlier this year, with the school district facing cuts in state aid, the Board of Education was forced to cut the $157,000 that funding the program and parents and other community members have stepped up to raise more than $50,000 so far — but the group needs to raise the full amount by Aug. 12, the cutoff date for notifying the national Air Force Junior ROTC organization whether the program will continue for the 2012-13 school year. Currently, more than 80 students are enrolled, but supporters say that number is low because of fears the program will be discontinued. Typically, more than 100 CASH students have been part of the program every year.
The Aug. 1 event is being hosted by Caln Township Commissioners Vince Rose and Joshua Young. For $20, attendees get unlimited h’orderves with a cash bar. 20% of all bar sales will also be donated to the fund.
For those unable to make the event but wanting to support the ROTC program, you can send a tax-deductible donation to: CCEF, PO Box 1060, Coatesville, PA 19320 or you can donate on the Web at www.coatesvillefoundation.org
The organizers say they are happy to accept any donation, as time is short and the program benefits many local students by instilling service, discipline and trains a new generation of leaders for the community.
I would like to thank the “Coatesville Times” for printing this article and second, to thank the “Caln Township Commissioners, Vince Rose and Joshua Young” for their support to host a Fund Raiser to help save the Coatesville Area School District ROTC Program to be held August 1, at the Thorndale Inn.
The Air Force Junior ROTC Program at the Coatesville Area School District should not be eliminated. As a taxpayer in the Coatesville Area School District I personally think the School Board made a mistake in allowing this program to be cut. AFROTC is a college program offered at over 1000 colleges and universities across the U.S. that prepares young people to be officers not only in the Air Force but the Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, etc. Scholarships have been awarded to students of this program in the amount of $450,000.00 each. In the past three years 3 graduates of the ROTC Program received such scholarships. The investment of $157,000 a year for this ROTC Program certainly is worth three scholarships issued in the last three years valued at over $1,350,000.00. I would like to see support to keep this program alive from other political officials such as Senator Bob Casey, Senator Pat Toomey, Congressman Gerlach, Senator Rafferty and others.
Hope everyone will help to save this program.
As 100 is the bare minimum as set by the national organization — and I don’t know that we need to make a distinction on special ed. — what is in the story remains accurate.
Source is Wrong: Minus special education, there are no more than 100 enrolled each year!