By Jeremy Handel, Staff Writer
jeremy@thewoodrufftimes.com
After many years of denials, a change in federal policy brought good news to Woodruff High School. Recently, the Air Force approved its request for a JROTC program.
Principal Christine Morris shared the news during the September meeting of the Spartanburg County School District Four Board of Trustees.
“We’ve been exploring this program for a long time,” said Superintendent Dr. Aaron Fulmer, who started the quest for a JROTC program during his tenure as the high school’s principal. “This is great news.”
According to Morris, the school had been denied a program for many years due to policies that restricted the number of programs in a particular geographic area. She said the school was contacted recently about a change in the federal guidelines that lifted the geographic limit, and the school reapplied.
After a new visit from the Air Force in the spring, Morris received official approval to launch the program at the beginning of the 2027–28 school year.
JROTC, or the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, was established in 1916 as an expansion of the college ROTC program. The JROTC mission is to “Motivate Young People to be Better Citizens.” The program was expanded to include all branches of the service in 1964.
Through the program, cadets study leadership and life skills, academics and co-curricular activities. Cadets are not required to join the military after graduation, but they can earn advanced rank if they enlist or scholarships if they join a college ROTC program.
In other business, Chris Benfield, assistant superintendent for business and finance, reported to the board that the district’s allotment of Title I funds from the federal government has been reduced by almost $80,000 for the year.
He said most of the funds are used to cover the salaries and benefits of additional teachers at the primary and elementary schools to help reduce class sizes. The district spent approximately $750,000 last year. Benfield said the district’s budget will have to cover the shortfall this year.
The board also heard the first reading of several proposed policies recommended by the state school boards association. These are regular policy recommendations that the state organization makes following its reviews. This year’s policies include several regarding the use of artificial intelligence.
The Woodruff School Board meets at 6 p.m. on the first Monday of each month at Woodruff High School. The meetings are open to the public, and the next meeting will be held Oct. 5.
